The Panthers still need to work on the edges, but the middle of their defensive line is strong.
The team announced that veteran defensive tackle Dwan Edwards was returning on a two-year deal.
They had previously signed Colin Cole, keeping the mentors in place for young starters Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short.
“I wanted to finish what we started,” Edwards said in a statement released by the team. “I got here three years ago and the defense has been improving, we’ve made a couple playoff appearances and I want to see it through. We’ve got a great chemistry on the defensive line, and despite some of the challenges that faced us last year, we continued to battle and young guys stepped up and coach [Eric] Washington did a great job. It was a great group to be a part of. From where we started to where we are now, I wanted to be a part of this.”
The Panthers will need to find someone to replace the edge rush of Greg Hardy, who will hit the road soon, but keeping the interior in place will make the job easier.