Deven Thompkins Signs With The Panthers

July 25th, 2024

In case you were wondering what became of the Bucs’ average returner and very meh receiver from the 2023 season, Deven Thompkins, he signed with the Panthers today.

Thompkins had a family dispute made public that raised questions about his behavior around the time the Bucs cut him this spring, but the NFL investigated and it seems Thompkins met the league’s standards of acceptable behavior.

He joins ex-Bucs receiver David Moore (epic catch-and-run touchdown against the Eagles in the playoffs last season) trying to make the Panthers team led by former Tampa Bay playcaller Dave Canales.

22 Responses to “Deven Thompkins Signs With The Panthers”

  1. SlyPirate Says:

    Seems right. Carolina is the Bucs’ farm team.

  2. SB~LV Says:

    Happy for him!
    His skank girlfriend who was trying to shake him down had the case tossed

  3. A Bucs Fan Says:

    Either way you look at the situation it’s a sad story that ends with a broken family. Regarding football: Deven was a limited player and the coaching change, current roster depth, and rule changes on special teams make it hard to believe he would have made the team.

  4. Fred McNeil Says:

    I wish him well…for 15 games a year.

  5. JimBobBuc Says:

    Maybe 6 or 7 guys catching punts today, even J-White! (He’s a former receiver).

  6. Jack Burton Mercer Says:

    As I always told my son when he was playing pop warner: if you’re small you better be fast. If you’re slow, you better be big.

    Thompkins is just too small to be much of a contributor and as it turns out he is not fast enough to overcome that. I have a feeling that Irving might be a little small also but certainly he should get the chance to prove that he is not. Thompkins could not.

  7. Buc4evr Says:

    Well at least he didn’t fumble the ball, which was better than some returners the Bucs have had.

  8. Crickett Baker Says:

    It’s good to see Canals grabbing our castoffs instead of poaching our existing coaches and players. He has already bitten off more than he can chew.

  9. Buc4evr Says:

    Bucs signed a TE today, Sal Cannella of the UFL. He will replace Gregory.

  10. Beeej Says:

    I’m glad the kid got a job somewhere, that was BS what happened to him

  11. Simeon4HOF Says:

    Carolina like the minor league bucs

  12. Simeon4HOF Says:

    Next year they’ll sign JTS

  13. Rod Munch Says:

    Amazing how the same people who think you have to have an ALL-PRO at every position – and that an average punt returner kills your team when they’re OK having an average (in a career year) QB.

    You can do worse than average.

    For Thompkins, I liked him and pointed him out as an UDFA, his college highlight film is fantastic. But just too small. If the poor guy was like 3 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier, he’d be starting somewhere in the NFL. You really have to use him as a gadget player as he’s just so tiny – but too often they’d line him up so he’s getting jammed off the LOS and he’s so tiny, he’s thrown off his routes. He does have fantastic hands, but all people will remember is the drop in San Fran.

    Anywho, the Panthers always seen to have good returners that hurt the Bucs – and I hope that doesn’t turn out to be Thompkins.

  14. Stanglassman Says:

    New Bucs TE Sal Cannalla is 6’ 5” 245 led the UFL with 6 TDs 53 catches for 486 yards. Bounced around a few NFL practice squads played at Auburn.

  15. teacherman1983 Says:

    Remember illogical people.

    You can accuse anyone of anything at anytime.

    Children, teens and adults lie. The vast majority of humans are liars. And greedy. And vengeful.

    What ever happened to “innocent until proven guilty?”

    When did Americans start believing every accusation they hear without critical thinking?

    Devin is a good dude.

    What happened to him happens to men everyday.

    Be careful guys. It’s better to be lonely than with a narcissistic gas lighter or gold digger

  16. Larrd Says:

    I am just glad the Bucs have upgraded. NFL players have to be bigger than that.

  17. SRQ Bucs Fan Says:

    I couldn’t catch up until tonight with JBF – dang Joes – Thank You!

  18. Rod Munch Says:

    Larrd Says:
    July 25th, 2024 at 10:00 pm
    I am just glad the Bucs have upgraded.

    ———

    They did? With who?

  19. Larrd Says:

    The rookie. The guy from the Giants. Both tower over my Aunt Louise. Both outweigh her, too.

  20. Rod Munch Says:

    Larrd – Oh yeah, at WR yes – but I never thought of Thompkins as anything but a returner, and maybe a #5 or #6 WR depth chart gadget player.

    I still think, in that role, he’s decent. Just dumping him when you don’t have any return men – in particular in a year when they’re trying to make returns more a part of the game, is questionable. You can do worse than an average returner.

  21. Calogero Says:

    I’m a fan of Devon and believe that the bucs made a mistake letting him go. I believe that he will shine playing for the panthers. If you watch the Lions game in the playoffs, you will notice that Devon was open many, many times, but #6 kept trying to force the ball to Mike which resulted in the interception at the end of the game. I’m a Bucs fan, but now I’ll be watching the Panther’s games as well.

  22. Rod Munch Says:

    Calogero – I’m also a Thompkins fan, at least as a bottom of the depth chart guy who you can give a few plays to once in a while, and who won’t hurt you in the return game. However, with the Bucs, he was let go when that the personal issue occured. Makes me wonder if he was already on a short leash or perhaps they know other stuff – just speculating, but I hope he didn’t lose his job over from BS fake claim.