SATURDAY, 10:00am: According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, Ball left Charlotte on Friday without signing a contract.
THURSDAY, 11:21am: According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), the Panthers and Ball haven’t yet reached a deal, though the cornerback is visiting the team today. A league source tells Wilson (Twitter link) that Carolina has offered a contract worth the terms reported below, and Ball is weighing that offer and others.
10:03am: The Panthers have signed cornerback Alan Ball to a one-year, $2MM contract, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Carolina gave Ball a $1MM signing bonus and a $50K workout bonus to go along with a $950K base salary. The deal also features up to $500K in playing-time incentives.
Ball, who turns 30 next month, spent the last two seasons in Jacksonville, and was quietly one of the best parts of the Jaguars’ secondary. In 2013, Ball recorded a +7.5 Pro Football Focus grade in over 1,000 snaps, ranking 22nd among 110 qualified cornerbacks (subscription required). His 2014 season was cut short by a biceps injury, which landed him on injured reserve after seven games, but he still held his own in the first half of the season, recording 22 tackles and an interception.
With the Jags moving in a younger direction at cornerback, led by 2013 draftees Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray, the team was willing to part ways with veterans like Ball and Will Blackmon this offseason, opening the door for the Panthers to land Ball.
In Carolina, Ball figures to challenge incumbent corners Bene Benwikere, Josh Norman, and Melvin White for playing time.