Panthers sign DE/OLB Bruce Irvin to 1-year deal. What it means, and where he fits
Newly signed Carolina Panthers defensive end Bruce Irvin remembers the car that head coach Ron Rivera drove back in 2012 — a black Huyundai Equus — when the two first met over dinner during Irvin’s pre-draft visit.
More importantly, prior to signing a one-year deal with the Panthers on Tuesday, Irvin also remembered how well he got along with Rivera and defensive coordinator Eric Washington at that time.
“Honest guys. That’s my biggest thing, I like honest people,” said Irvin on a conference call Tuesday afternoon. “... And that is the vibe I’ve gotten since I met those two.”
The Panthers agreed to terms with Irvin on Tuesday morning, the Observer reported. According to a league source, the deal is worth $4 million, with incentives that could increase the contract to $5 million.
Another source close to the negotiations said Irvin was actually close to signing with an NFC South rival of the Panthers as recently as this week.
But then Irvin spoke with Rivera, who left a great impression, the source said. That, plus Charlotte’s proximity to Irvin’s Atlanta home, led to his decision to sign with the Panthers.
Irvin said he even reminded Rivera of his old car when he saw him Tuesday, but was quick to point out that while the head coach has upgraded to a Mercedes since then, his personality has not changed.
“It felt genuine. It felt real, and that’s hard to find in this league,” said Irvin. “The business part plays so much into it, so when you find a genuine person, or a genuine coach, you kind of want to play for them and be around them.”
Irvin’s signing adds to an effort by the Panthers to shore up both sides of the line of scrimmage in free agency. The Panthers signed veteran center Matt Paradis to a four-year deal last week, and re-signed offensive tackle Daryl Williams to a one-year contract as well.
“Our primary focus coming into the offseason was to add talent to our offensive line and our front on defense, primarily in the area of rushing the passer,” general manager Marty Hurney said in a team release. “Bruce has a knack for sacking and disrupting the quarterback. We are very pleased to have him as a member of the Carolina Panthers.”
Irvin, 31, spent the bulk of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, the team that drafted him No. 15 overall in 2012. He played for the Oakland Raiders in 2016 and 2017, and split time between the Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons in 2018.
Irvin, who has 43.5 career sacks, can immediately help a Panthers pass rush that stalled in 2018 and lost veteran starter Julius Peppers to retirement at the end of the season. Veteran defensive end Mario Addison will continue to start in 2019. But without Peppers, the Panthers’ pass-rushers are young and largely untested.
“It’s a younger defense, and I’m an older guy who can come in and get my hands on some of these younger guys,” said Irvin. “Show them how to really be a vet not only on the field, but off the field also.”
Irvin thinks he will be a good fit in the Panthers’ plan to become more multiple in 2019 — meaning they will use more variations of 4-3 and 3-4 defensive fronts. Irvin, who is 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, has experience as a defensive end and outside linebacker, and discussed playing both roles with the Panthers. He also has forced 15 fumbles and defensed 11 passes in his career, with three interceptions.
“Being able to drop in certain situations, being able to blitz from all over the field, just keeping teams honest so that they don’t know if I’m dropping (into coverage), spying on the quarterback, that’s kind of the role I’m envisioning that I’ll have here — and I can’t wait to be a part of it,” he said.
Irvin didn’t just run in to Rivera at the team’s facilities on Tuesday morning. He also re-introduced himself to Panthers linebacker and team captain Luke Kuechly. Irvin, Kuechly and defensive tackle Dontari Poe give Carolina three top-15 draft picks from the 2012 class in its front seven.
Irvin says he is most looking forward to meeting with a former undrafted free agent: Third-year defensive end Bryan Cox Jr, who was recently tendered a contract by the Panthers.
“I’m really eager to get my hands on him, show him how to be a pro and how to be successful in this league,” said Irvin. “He reminds me of a young Bruce when I came in this league. I was everywhere, as far as me being inconsistent on the field and learning how to be a pro.
“It was a lot. I had older guys (who) really took me under their wing ... molded me into a good man.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2019 at 12:49 PM.
