Carolina Panthers add receiver with David Canales connection to training camp roster

The Carolina Panthers have added a wide receiver to their 90-man training camp roster, injecting another variable into a room that has plenty of questions ahead of the 2024 season .

Deven Thompkins signed with the Panthers after a workout with the team on Thursday, the team’s second day of training camp in Charlotte. The 2022 undrafted rookie from Utah State spent the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where the Panthers newly minted head coach Dave Canales previously served as offensive coordinator.

Thompkins caught 22 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown in his two-year stint with the Bucs. The 5-foot-8, 155-pound speedster also returned kicks and punts.

In a corresponding move, the team waived/injured defensive lineman Popo Aumavae . The 25-year-old rookie from Oregon went down on Wednesday and had to be carted off the field; he sustained an Achilles injury, a league source told The Charlotte Observer.

Thompkins was waived by the Bucs with an injury designation in May. Not long after that, Thompkins’ wife, Maria Castilhos, came forward on social media with allegations of domestic violence, according to reporting from GulfLive.com . Thompkins denied all allegations, and earlier this month, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported that Thompkins has been cleared of the allegations.

“Following a review of the matter, the league did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told Auman.

Thompkins will now compete in a room with a bunch of guys vying for reps. That room includes Diontae Johnson , the speedster from Pittsburgh who the Panthers traded for; veteran Adam Thielen , who at 33 is coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2023; 2024 first-round draft pick Xavier Legette ; 2023 second-round draft pick Jonathan Mingo — among others, including Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Terrace Marshall and Jalen Coker.

Thompkins wasn’t the only player the Panthers supervised a workout for Thursday. Others included OLB Marquis Haynes , who was with the team a season ago, and DE Kemoko Turay. More pass-rushing potential will work out with the team later this week, including Carl Lawson and Yannick Ngakoue, as the Observer first reported on Wednesday.

Mike Kaye contributed to this report.