Panthers bring Geoff Hangartner back to Carolina

The Carolina Panthers continue to add veteran depth to their offensive line. Yesterday, the Panthers signed former Eagles guard Max Jean-Gilles. Today, the Panthers added a familiar face to their offensive line when they signed Geoff Hangartner.

Hangartner was originally drafted by the Panthers in the 5th round of the 2005 NFL draft. The 6’5, 315 pound Hangartner played four years for the Panthers but signed with the Buffalo Bills following the 2008 season.

Hangartner was a valuable member of the Panthers offensive line because of his versatility, being able to play both center and guard. Hangartner started 27 games for the Panthers including 15 in 2006 when he took over for starting center, Justin Hartwig who went down with a torn chest muscle.

The Panthers drafted Southern Cal’s Ryan Kalil in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft sending Hangartner back to his back-up role. Following the 2008 season, Hangartner signed a four year, $10 million contract with the Bills in order to find a starting opportunity. He was later released by the Bills on September 3rd. We’ll update the story as details become available.

UPDATE: It was first believed that the Panthers would choose between Hangartner and Jean-Gilles as to who would keep a roster spot. However, it now appears both will remain with the team as Carolina has released safety Sean Considine and offensive lineman C.J. Davis. The release of Considine surprises me due to his familiarity with defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. However, this probably shows how much confidence the staff has in Jordan Pugh. Hangartner’s contract details still are not known. Conventional wisdom says it’s probably a one-year deal though a two-year deal would make a lot of sense as well.