4 pros and cons to the Carolina Panthers signing Dee Ford
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers cannot guarantee Dee Ford’s health
One of the main problems behind Dee Ford’s lack of production for the San Francisco 49ers is availability. The talented player has been seldom seen over the past two seasons and considering the financial savings involved with his early release, it appears to be a no-brainer for the NFC West organization and something that was all but confirmed by head coach Kyle Shanahan this week.
Ford is working his way back slowly and should be medically cleared to resume football activities in the near future. But if the Carolina Panthers did become interested in the player, it would be with absolutely no guarantee he could stay healthy for a prolonged period of time.
A series of issues restricted Ford to just 18 games over the last three seasons. So much time away from the gridiron might also result in the former first-round selection losing a step at 31 years old.
Carolina does have Brian Burns, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Marquis Haynes already on the roster, This could allow Ford to build up his confidence gradually before making a difference where it matters most.
Bringing Ford into the mix would be a risk on the injury front if nothing else. But if he managed to put these recent problems in the rearview mirror, then it would no doubt help the Panthers compensate for Haason Reddick’s departure.