Panthers Claim Marcus Freeman

The Carolina Panthers have claimed tight end Marcus Freeman, quarterback Matt Moore and tackle Frank Omiyale off waivers from Baltimore, Dallas and Atlanta respectively, the team announced Sunday. All three players were waived when teams reduced their rosters to the 53-player limit for the regular season on Saturday. To make room on the roster for them, the Panthers placed tight end Michael Gaines on injured reserve with a shoulder injury and waived tackle Rashad Butler and guard Will Montgomery.

Freeman (6-2, 246 pounds) attended training camp with the Ravens after being signed as an undrafted rookie free agent from Notre Dame. He played in 44 games with 11 starts during his career for the Fighting Irish and posted 14 receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

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Q&A with Marcus Freeman

Tight end Marcus Freeman is a rookie free agent from Notre Dame trying to make a good impression on the Ravens coaching staff. He took center stage when he tangled with linebacker Jarret Johnson during an 11-on-11, goal-line drill that ignited the first fight of training camp.

On how the fisticuffs began: “I was scruffing with No. 95 [Johnson], and I felt a bunch of people jump on my back,” Freeman said. “I got up and I saw all these purple shirts [the defense wore purple, while the offense wore white]. I was like, ‘Where are all my teammates at?’ But it was all in fun. Nothing serious.”

Was the fight related to the hot, humid conditions that seemed to envelop McDaniel College in Westminster? “Probably a lot,” Freeman said. “Everybody gets a little ornery and tired. There’s a lot of testosterone around here, so people just get to flailing and things happen.”

Finally, I asked him to describe his development thus far in camp. “I have a long way to go, but I think I’m improving every day,” Freeman said. “It’s going well, I believe. But you definitely want to make some plays on the field and be recognized for that.”