Panthers awarded NFL’s most popular waiver claim on Wednesday

It’s good to be the king . . . or whatever you call the team that sits atop the waiver wire order .

On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers announced they had staked claims on six players following the NFL’s initial roster cutdowns . One of the six was cornerback Shemar Bartholomew, who was let go by the New York Jets on Tuesday.

Well, it turns out that the Panthers weren’t the only team with interest in the 24-year-old defender. In fact, he was very much in demand.

As reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero this morning , Bartholomew had claims from four different teams—the most amongst all players on yesterday’s waiver wire. The undrafted rookie was claimed by the Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.

Bartholomew’s impressive summer may have led to his popularity. According to Pro Football Focus , the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder allowed zero receiving yards over nine targets and a passer rating of just 39.6 when targeted during the preseason—good enough for an 85.2 coverage grade.

Carolina—who has the No. 1 priority in the waiver order—also reeled in fellow cornerbacks Keenan Isaac and Tariq Castro-Fields, guard Jarrett Kingston, outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff and inside linebacker Jon Rhattigan.

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