Panthers sign five invited tryouts
Five of the 35 invited tryouts who participated in the Panthers' rookie minicamp have been signed to the 90-man roster. Coastal Carolina tight end Jamie Childers, Villanova defensive end Rakim Cox, Central Florida guard Jordan McCray, South Carolina center Ronald Patrick and Stanford fullback Lee Ward have signed with the Panthers. Carolina waived Florida defensive tackle Darious Cummings, who was one of 10 undrafted college free agents signed last week. The Panthers' roster now stands at 90 players.
The only rookie of the five is the fullback Lee Ward (5'11", 246 lbs) from Stanford. Here's a little more on Ward:
- Ward is extremely strong, putting up 35 reps on the bench press at his Pro day
- Ran a 4.97 40 yd dash
- Ward went from Walk-on as a freshman to Team Captain as a senior
2015 NFL Draft: Lee Ward Signed by the Carolina Panthers - Rule Of Tree
I expect a similar success as Ward transitions into the NFL. Much like he had to try out for Stanford as a walk on, he also had to try out for the Panthers. But it won't be long before the "cannonball" that scouts saw at the combine breaks through for the Panthers and starts doing some "serious damage" in the NFL. And just as Ward broke through an unbreakable Utah defense, I also expect Ward to break through NFL defenses and have a very successful NFL career.
The best part though is this highlight video that honestly reminds me of former Panther FB Brad Hoover:
Talk about finishing your blocks! The dude is a beast. I'm excited to have this guy and 'Ol Richie Brockel might be in trouble!