The Carolina Panthers lost LaBryan Ray, who decided to retire early, from their defensive line depth. The line had already lost Tershawn Wharton , out for the foreseeable future, and Nic Scourton , out for the year.
Ray, who had more games under Ejiro Evero than anyone else on the roster, was poised for a much bigger role up front because of the thin depth . Then, he decided to retire, which was confirmed after he missed practice on Tuesday.
The Panthers didn't wait around to fill the roster spot, bringing back guard Jake Curhan , according to Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer.
Curhan has played tackle and guard, making him a versatile addition to the offensive line. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, making him very familiar with Dave Canales and Brad Idzik (Dan Morgan, too).
He spent part of last season with the Panthers and the other part with the Arizona Cardinals , but he was a pretty important piece of depth for the Panthers. He appeared in 13 games, making one start on the injury-depleted line.
Carolina Panthers tackle Jake Curhan (74) and center Austin Corbett (63) during the third quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Panthers are understandably bullish on Aaron Hall, the UDFA defensive lineman who now seems poised to make the roster with ease. Therefore, they don't feel the need to add too much to the defensive line despite the losses.
They, instead, have been beefing up the offensive line. Understandably. Last year, they were plagued by offensive line issues. They used more combinations up front than most NFL teams, so they know the value of depth and versatility. They had injuries at a lot of positions last year.
Recently, the Panthers signed Brady Christensen , who'd torn his Achilles with the Panthers last season. His versatility will help him make the roster since he can play any position. The same is more or less true of Curhan.
He still faces an uphill battle to making the roster, but now is the time when the roster crunch truly begins. Curhan and others will have a chance to make their claims beginning Thursday at the Hall of Fame Game.
Then, there will be three more preseason games and more training camp for everyone to continue battling it out. Given Curhan's familiarity with the team and the staff, and the need for offensive lineman, he stands a good chance of making the roster despite getting added late in camp.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/panthers/onsi as Panthers Move Swiftly After LaBryan Ray Retirement, Fill Spot with Needed Backup .
