With holes left in the on the offensive line and defensive backfield for the Carolina Panthers as the second week of free agency came to a close, the question of how to fill them has been looming since the departures of Kurt Coleman and Andrew Norwell; while the puzzle is not complete, pieces were clearly added on Friday morning when the Panthers have signed former Vikings offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles to a one-year deal as well as former Titans safety and UNC graduate Da’Norris Searcy to a two-year deal worth a reported $5.7m.
Photo: Jim Dedmon (USA TODAY Sports)
This, however, could just be part of the plan for the Panthers, as neither player is guaranteed a starting role with the NFL Draft approaching in just a few weeks. Sirles (6″6′, 315 lbs) played in 14 games with four starts at left guard for Minnesota last season; in 2016, he played in 14 games with a career high 10 starts – nine at right tackle and one at left guard. On paper, the move may look like a short term attempt to replace Andrew Norwell at left guard, but realistically would be an upgrade to backup Amini Silatolu. Sirles seems willing to bet on himself in the one year stint and is expected to compete with second-year offensive lineman Taylor Moton and a returning Tyler Larsen for the starting guard spot.
“Any time there is an actual opening on an offensive line in the NFL it’s pretty rare,” Sirles said. “There was an opening here at left guard, and that was an attractive pull to have an opportunity to compete. That’s all you can ask for in this league. I feel like there is a chance here to fight for that.”
On the other side of the ball, the Panthers new safety Searcy was the third man on the depth chart in his former role on the Tennessee Titans behind Kevin Byard and Jonathan Cyprien, racking up 27 tackles, a lone interception and 2 passes defended in 2017; the former Tar Heel brings good depth experience to a position with multiple question marks, but may not be the final answer at safety with a deep class available in the 2018 Draft, although Searcy told the media after the signing that he still sees himself as a starter. At the very least, Searcy will add depth on special teams, where he made six stops on 161 snaps in last season.
Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
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