Panthers add former Texans guard to offensive line depth chart in free agency

The Panthers added some veteran depth to their offensive line on Friday.

Carolina agreed to terms on a contract with former Houston Texans guard Justin McCray, the team announced. The terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.

McCray, 30, previously played for Panthers offensive line coach James Campen in both Green Bay and Houston. The pair spent time together with the Packers from 2017 to 2018. They were reunited in Houston in 2021 before Campen bolted for Carolina last season.

McCray, who is listed as 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, can play guard and center. He will likely be used to push second-year lineman Cade Mays, who is expected to play in place of starting right guard Austin Corbett (ACL) this summer. With Corbett in for a lengthy recovery, Mays and McCray can compete for playing time on the right side. When Corbett returns, Mays and McCray are likely to be the team’s top interior backup tandem.

McCray has had a whirlwind professional football career. After playing college football at UCF in Orlando, McCray went undrafted in 2014 and spent time with the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad. He eventually spent some time in the Arena Football League before returning to the NFL with the Packers in 2017. After spending two years in Green Bay, McCray played for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons before reuniting with Campen in Houston.

McCray has appeared in 76 games (29 starts) during his career. McCray has played in 39 games (21 starts) under Campen’s guidance.

Here is an updated look at the Panthers’ business season three days into the new league year:

Internal free agents

▪ K Eddy Piñeiro

▪ S Sam Franklin (RFA)

▪ S Myles Hartsfield

▪ DT Matthew Ioannidis

▪ DE Henry Anderson

▪ WR Rashard Higgins

▪ S Juston Burris

▪ CB T.J. Carrie

▪ S Sean Chandler

▪ OT Cameron Erving

▪ LB Cory Littleton

▪ WR Andre Roberts

▪ LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe

▪ G Michael Jordan

Re-signed

▪ C Bradley Bozeman

▪ LS JJ Jansen

▪ TE Giovanni Ricci

▪ TE Stephen Sullivan

Headed elsewhere

▪ QB Sam Darnold (to 49ers)

▪ QB PJ Walker (to Bears)

▪ RB D’Onta Foreman (to Bears)

Agreed to terms

▪ S Vonn Bell (from Bengals)

▪ RB Miles Sanders (from Eagles)

▪ G Justin McCray (from Texans)

Officially signed

▪ DT Shy Tuttle (from Saints)

▪ QB Andy Dalton (from Saints)

▪ TE Hayden Hurst (from Bengals)

▪ DT DeShawn Williams (from Broncos)

Released

▪ C Pat Elflein

▪ LB Damien Wilson

Restructured

▪ OT Taylor Moton

▪ G Austin Corbett

▪ S Xavier Woods

▪ P Johnny Hekker

▪ TE Ian Thomas

▪ CB Donte Jackson

Traded

▪ WR DJ Moore (to the Bears)

Extended

▪ LB Shaq Thompson

Mike Kaye

The Charlotte Observer

Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription