The Panthers have agreed to sign Chris Ogbonnaya, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Carolina’s backfield looked rather deep just weeks ago but they’ve been hammered with injuries early on this year.
DeAngelo Williams is currently listed as doubtful for this week’s game against the Bears after suffering a foot injury in Sunday’s 38-10 loss against the Ravens. Stewart’s status is also in question after he suffered a sprained knee against the Steelers in Week 3. Veteran Mike Tolbert is on the short-term injured reserve with a fractured leg and Fozzy Whittaker is dealing with a quad injury. Faced with the reality of having two undrafted free agents man their backfield, the Panthers turned to Ogbonnaya.
Ogbonnaya got some significant run with the Browns from 2011 through 2013. Last season, he hauled in 48 receptions (75 targets) for 343 yards while registering 240 yards off of 49 rushing attempts. The 28-year-old running back/fullback didn’t make the cut in Cleveland this offseason, however, as the Browns chose to roll with tailbacks Ben Tate, Terrance West, and Isaiah Crowell.
To make room for Ogbonnaya on 53-man roster, the Panthers waived running back Tauren Poole, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Poole was on the roster for two days and fumbled on his first NFL career carry.