Panthers Add Linebacker, Lose Lineman

If there was one position you figured the Carolina Panthers didn't have to try and upgrade this offseason, it was linebacker. Jon Beason became the man in the middle, while Thomas Davis and Na'il Diggs were solid on the outside, and all three were returning.

Nevertheless, someone in the Panthers front office wanted to give Diggs and Davis some competition. The Panthers signed former Bengal Landon Johnson to a three-year deal today, giving Carolina more depth at the position. Johnson was a starter in Cincinnati and averaged 74.5 tackles the last two seasons.

Perhaps that depth was necessary, given that restricted free agent Adam Seward may be headed to New England -- if I were the Panthers, I'd take that 5th-round pick, thanks -- and James Anderson has been fairly hit-or-miss after two seasons. Still, Johnson's presence now has to make you wonder if a starting linebacker in 2007 might be benched in 2008.

One guy who won't be on the bench for Carolina is defensive tackle Kindal Moorehead, who signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons yesterday. Moorehead becomes the second Panthers after Dan Morgan to escape to a division rival this week. John Fox and Mike Trgovac might be wise to start rewriting a few pages in the defensive playbook soon. The Panthers might also be wise to grab an extra free agent tackle on defense. You can only do so much building in the draft.