The Panthers signed 6 players from now-defunct AAF. Here’s how they can help the team
When Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera has spoken in the past about the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, it has been with optimism about its potential as a development league for the NFL.
The Panthers will see just how beneficial that development could be to their current roster, after signing six former AAF players since Friday.
Receiver Rashad Ross, offensive linemen Parker Collins, Kitt O’Brien and Brandon Greene, tight end Thomas Duarte and defensive tackle T.J. Barnes have all been added to the Panthers’ 90-man roster, which can stay at 90 players through training camp.
Rivera has especially praised the opportunity the AAF provided for offensive linemen to assimilate to the demands of the NFL. Carolina needs depth players up front, and hopes at least one of these players will stick — especially after a wave of injuries handicapped the offensive line in 2018.
“There’s nothing you can do about (injuries) other than get the next guy ready to play,” Rivera said in December. “And that’s about it. I mean, I think if it shows you anything, it shows you how thin the (NFL) is in terms of reserves.
“That’s why I think (the AAF) is going to be a benefit because it’s going to give young guys an opportunity to play that don’t make teams and it gives them an opportunity to grow and develop, and I think it will be a positive thing for us. It will give young quarterbacks, young offensive linemen, guys that really can help in this league, get a chance to develop. And I think that’s the one thing that’s missing.”
One of the Panthers’ signings could immediately help the team in a more featured role, however.
Ross, 29, recently was a top receiver in the AAF for the Arizona Hotshots. The former Arizona State Sun Devil could have an impact on the Panthers’ special teams unit as a return man after they lost Damiere Byrd in free agency.
Ross racked up 684 kick return yards and a touchdown while with Washington in 2015. But that’s not all he wants to prove he can do for the Panthers.
“I feel like I belong,” Ross told the Panthers’ website this week. “I had a lot of fun (in the AAF) and I grew as a player and as a person. I was more focused, wanting to show people my skills and that I’m not just a return man, that I can play receiver, too.
“This is a second chance and a dream come true.”
The Panthers also signed defensive tackle Destiny Vaeao, who was most recently with the New York Jets.
This story was originally published April 8, 2019 at 2:19 PM.
