BREAKING: Panthers Sign Defensive End Stephen Weatherly to Two-Year Deal

The deal for the former Viking is worth $12.5 million.

According to his agent, Stephen Weatherly will be taking his talents to Carolina in 2020. 

Congratulations Stephen. I am proud of you and I know the best is yet to come. Charlotte, @Panthers fans, you got a great one. You have a huge heart and will have an instant impact on that community. Minnesota will miss you dearly pic.twitter.com/zoEumlHo2r

— Blake Baratz (@blakebaratz) March 16, 2020

This move seems interesting to say the least. Weatherly can be described as a hybrid defensive end, which means that he can operate in multiple defensive fronts. This is seemingly the exact type of player that defensive coordinator Phil Snow wants on his new defense. 

The potential downside to this signing is that Weatherly saw limited playing time in an extremely gifted Vikings defensive line. He took advantage of the time he had on the field by producing six sacks over the past couple of years, as well as 59 combined tackles and two forced fumbles. 

Weatherly was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft, so he's been in this league for a little while and knows the ropes of the business. Even though he may not have the stats to display it, he has shown flashes of greatness at times. With several years of experience under his belt, a new environment may be exactly what Weatherly needs for his career to revitalize.

The Panthers needed to improve the defensive line position this off-season, and they are doing just that with this signing. While it may not be the attractive deal that many Panthers fans had been hoping for, this seems like a step in the right direction, considering how limited the team's salary cap is looking at the moment.

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