Panthers, Derrick Brown Agree To Four-Year Extension
The Carolina Panthers and defensive tackle Derrick Brown agreed to a four-year, $96 million contract extension on Friday, according to a source. The deal includes $63.165 million guaranteed. The $24 million per-year average on the extension is the fourth-highest in the league for a defensive tackle, trailing only Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins and Justin Madubuike. The 25-year-old Brown was a Pro Bowler for the first time in 2023 after posting a defensive lineman-record 103 tackles while leading the NFL with a 47 percent run-stop win rate, according to ESPN Analytics/NextGen Stats. Brown was the former seventh overall pick in 2020 and has eight sacks and two interceptions in his four-year career. This is a key move for a Panthers defense that lost pass-rusher Brian Burns this offseason.
Derrick Brown's Fifth-Year Option Picked Up By Panthers
The Carolina Panthers picked up defensive tackle Derrick Brown's fifth-year option on May 1. Brown, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has shown improvement in each of his first three seasons. Last season, he set career highs in solo tackles, assists, pass defenses, and QB hits, and made his first interception. His ability to get his hands on passes has been valuable to IDP fantasy managers. He made seven pass defenses last season and has made 15 in his three-year career. The 24-year-old will be on the Panthers for at least two more seasons, and he will be moving to defensive end, where he could get to the quarterback more often, in the team's new 3-4 scheme.
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown is down to around 320 pounds this offseason and has been more intentional about his physical conditioning as he heads into his third year in the NFL. Brown was over 330 pounds in 2021. The former first-rounder had an up-and-down season last year and finished with 41 tackles (27 solo), eight tackles for loss, nine QB hits, three sacks and four passes defensed in 16 games (14 starts) for the Panthers. "I can really tell because he's moving faster," defensive end Brian Burns said. "He was always pretty fast for a big guy, but he's moving faster. He looks a little more nimble, and that's kind of weird for a guy that's 6-foot-5, 320 or three-whatever-he-is. But I can tell."
The Carolina Panthers agreed to a four-year fully guaranteed deal for $23.621 million with rookie defensive tackle Derrick Brown on Friday, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus. Brown, who was the seventh overall pick in the draft, becomes the first player taken in the first round in 2020 to agreed to terms. Carolina started with Brown and took all defensive players in the draft for the first time in history. The defensive tackle from Auburn will immediately step in as a starter in Week 1 and will help a Panthers run defense that was one of the worst in football in 2019.
The Carolina Panthers selected Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday. The first defensive tackle off the board, Brown will certainly help a porous Panthers defensive line and defense that, in general, was horrible against the run and rushing the passer in 2019, even with now-retired linebacker Luke Kuechly as a sideline-to-sideline beast. Brown will give the Panthers consistent production on the defensive side of the ball and he plays with tremendous effort. Carolina should get good great interior pocket push from Brown, and they'll need it with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and now Tom Brady inside the division.
The Detroit Lions coaching staff has recently taken a liking to Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, according to sources. There could be a couple of players that the Lions like with pick No. 3 in the first round, but they'd love to get them at No. 5 or No. 6 after a trade down. If they don't move back a few spots, Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah could be the pick, as he fills a big need after the Lions traded Darius Slay this offseason. It's unknown if any team is desperate enough for a quarterback -- Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert -- to move all the way up as far as No. 3 to take one of them.
