The Panthers have signed DT Darwin Walker.  Walker played in 11 games with the Bears last season and he compiled 17 tackles and had 1 sack.  Walker has now played in 98 games in his NFL career and he has compiled 189 tackles, defensed 14 passes, has 28.5 sacks, forced 5 fumbles and he has intercepted 1 pass.  This was a solid depth signing for the Panthers.

The Panthers hit a homer with their first pick of the 2007 NFL Draft.  Linebacker Jon Beason was outstanding as a rookie for the Panthers.  Beason played in 16 games (all starts) last season for the Panthers and he made 140 tackles, defensed 6 passes and he intercepted a pass.  This is just the tip of the iceberg for Beason as he might graduate to even higher levels of play in the near future.  The first of the 2nd round picks of the Panthers from USC was WR Dwayne Jarrett.  Jarrett played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and he caught 6 passes for 73 yards (12.2 avg) and he also carried the ball 1 time for 11 yards.  The Panthers cut Keyshawn Johnson because they had high hopes for Jarrett that never materialized.  The other 2nd round pick from USC for the Panthers was center Ryan Kalil.  Kalil played in 5 games (3 starts) as a rookie for the Panthers.  He might be a starter down the road for the Panthers but he has to play much better than he did last season.  DE Charles Johnson was the 3rd round pick of the Panthers last season and he played in 3 games (2 starts).  Johnson only made 2 tackles last season for the Panthers which was a huge disappointment.  WR/KR Ryne Robinson played in all 16 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and he only caught 4 passes for 35 yards (8.8 avg).  Robinson made his money on special teams for the Panthers last season.  He returned 26 kickoffs for 598 yards (23.0 avg) and he also returned 30 punts for 262 yards (8.7 avg).  5th round pick Dante Rosario (TE) has the potential to be a starter down the road.  Rosario played in 16 games (2 starts) for the Panthers last season and he caught 6 passes for 108 yards (18.0 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  The other 5th round pick for the Panthers last season was linebacker Tim Shaw.  Shaw played in 14 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and he finished with 14 tackles.  Cornerback C.J. Wilson was the final pick (7th round) of the Panthers last season.  He played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Panthers last season and Wilson finished with 5 tackles.

GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  C+

The Panthers have wanted to get bigger at guard and they certainly did that by signing Toniu Fonoti.  Fonoti stands at 6′4″, 350 pounds!  Fonoti didn’t play in the NFL last season but he has played 40 games (33 starts) in his NFL career.  This was a good low risk/high reward signing for the Panthers.

The Panthers have signed safety Terrence Holt.  Holt played in 16 games for the Cardinals last season and he made 69 tackles and forced a fumble.  Holt has now played in 69 games in his NFL career and he has made 242 tackles, defensed 15 passes, has 1/2 a sack, forced 4 fumbles and he has intercepted 8 passes.  This was a good move for the Panthers as Holt will likely move right into their starting lineup.

The Panthers have signed OG Milford Brown.  Brown is a huge man at 6′5″, 330 pounds and he’s a road grader in the running game.  He played in all 16 games (15 starts) for the Rams last season.  Brown has now played in 47 games (43 starts) in his six year career and he should definately help the offensive line of the Panthers this season.

The Panthers have signed 26-year old WR D.J. Hackett to a 2-year, $3.5 million dollar deal.  Hackett will battle Mushin Muhammad for the #2 WR job in Training Camp.  Hackett played in 6 games for the Seahawks last season and he caught 32 passes for 384 yards (12.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Hackett has now played in 33 games in his NFL career and he has caught 105 passes for 1,394 yards (13.3 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  Hackett is a rising player and the Panthers got a bargain here for $1.75 million dollars per season.

The Panthers have signed LaBrandon Toefield to a 1-year contract.  The 27-year old could wind up being the top backup behind DeAngelo Williams for the Panthers this season.  He played in 2 games last season for the Jaguars and he carried the ball 13 times for 27 yards (2.1 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 1 pass for 4 yards.  Toefield has now played in 45 games in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 163 times for 572 yards (3.5 ypc) with 7 TD runs.  He also has caught 46 passes for 277 yards (6.0 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Toefield has talent but he was buried on the depth chart in Jacksonville so he is worth the risk to see what he can do.

The Panthers have signed linebacker Landon Johnson.  Johnson played in 16 games with the Bengals last season and he made 109 tackles, defensed 4 passes and had 1 sack.  Johnson has now played in 64 games in his NFL career and he has made 398 tackles, defensed 12 passes, has 3.5 sacks, forced 6 fumbles and he has 1 interception.  This was a good move for the Panthers as the 26-year old Johnson will likely move right into the starting lineup for them and improve the defense.

The Panthers have signed DE Tyler Brayton to a 2-year contract.  Brayton played in all 16 games for the Raiders last season but he only made 11 tackles and defensed 1 pass.  Brayton has now played in 79 games in his NFL career and he has made 176 tackles, defensed 10 passes, sacked the opposing QB 6 times, forced 2 fumbles and intercepted 1 pass.  Brayton will likely be no more than a backup for the Panthers.

The Panthers have signed backup guard Keydrick Vincent to a 2-year, $2 million dollar contract.  Vincent has great size at 6′5″, 325 pounds but he’s never really lived up to his ability.  Vincent played in 8 games last season (1 start) for the Cardinals last season.  He has now played in 67 games (49 starts) over his 7-year career.  Vincent will likely only be a backup for the Panthers this season.