Kiante Anderson adds depth to Panthers defense
He may be nothing more than a camp body, but Anderson adds depth for the Carolina Panthers in the meantime…
As the preseason rages on, the Carolina Panthers continue to add depth to their roster. Wednesday, the team announced the signing of defensive end Kiante Anderson. With the signing of Anderson, the Panthers waived defensive end Karter Schult.
Not much is known about Anderson. He spent training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being waived from there as well.
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Hailing from East Carolina University, Anderson had 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in three seasons of collegiate ball.
At least at the outset, this seems like nothing more than a depth move. With names like Mario Addison and Julius Peppers, the Carolina Panthers are already pretty deep at the defensive end position. Combine that with guys whose stocks are rising (Wes Horton, Marquis Haynes and Daeshon Hall) and there does not seem to be a lot of room for a guy like Anderson.
Then again. He could come in and make a solid impact. We saw newly-signed defensive back Alex Carter intercept Cam Newton during practice on Monday, showing he may be more than just a camp body. My guess is that if the Carolina Panthers took a flyer on Anderson, the latter has a high motor. Building a defense that can get to the quarterback quickly seems to have been a hallmark of the Panthers over the past couple of years, and I do not expect that to change.
Especially if the secondary continues to suffer through a rash of injuries, adding a defensive end with a high motor may be exactly what the doctor ordered. Nothing can hide a weak secondary better than an aggressive pass-rush. I do not think the secondary is completely broken, but as the team continues to try and mix and match new parts, it may not be a very smooth transition.
It will be interesting to see what other moves the Carolina Panthers make as they continue to improve their roster. I would look for more moves to be made in the secondary as that is currently a position of worry. Again, they have the pieces to step up if need be. However, many of those pieces are young and possibly error-prone. Additional depth should be a focus for the organization as they continue to shape their roster.
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As the Carolina Panthers continue to find the right pieces for their roster, they added another member to the defensive unit. Hopefully, Anderson can be productive for the team.