The Panthers have announced (via Twitter) that they have signed free safety Thomas DeCoud to a two-year deal. With the signing, the Panthers have filled a void in their secondary while also plucking a free agent away from one of their divisional rivals. The deal can reach $3.75MM and includes a $500K signing bonus, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
DeCoud will help give the Panthers depth at safety behind Charles Godfrey, who is coming off of Achilles surgery. While DeCoud started for the Falcons for the last five years and is a former Pro Bowler, he had by far the worst season of his career in 2013. The 29-year-old racked up just 44 tackles and failed to intercept a pass for the first time since becoming a starter.
Godfrey, meanwhile, remains a restructuring candidate for Carolina as his $7.1MM 2014 cap figure makes him the fifth-highest paid player on the Panthers’ roster. The veteran missed the final 14 games of 2013 with a torn achilles.