The Panthers have officially signed safety Kurt Coleman, the team announced today (via Twitter). Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer first reported (via Twitter) that Coleman was expected to sign with Carolina, while David Newton of ESPN.com tweets that it’s a two-year deal.
Coleman, 26, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. Although he was the team’s starter at free safety in 2011 and 2012, he played a reduced role in 2013 before joining the Chiefs in 2014. The Ohio State product saw his defensive playing time increase once again in Kansas City, as he logged 37 tackles and grabbed three interceptions for the season.
When Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star examined Coleman’s free agency last month, he indicated that the veteran safety would be seeking a team that would give him a chance to compete for a starting job. Coleman should get that opportunity in Carolina, for a Panthers team that parted ways with Thomas DeCoud earlier this year.
Financial terms of the contract aren’t yet known, but Paylor speculated in February that Coleman would likely be seeking a salary in the range of $1.5-2MM per year.