Kyle Love DT #93
Height: 6-1
Weight: 315
Age: 29
College: Mississippi State
Hometown: College Park, Ga.
Experience: 5 (did not play in 2014)
Draft: UDFA 2010
Career
Love played his first three seasons for the Patriots getting 25 starts in 32 games. He then jumped around a couple seasons spending some time in both Jacksonville and KC before being picked up by the Panthers.
A late 2014 season pick up, Love was a key back-up in 2015 for the 15-1 Panthers. Love started two games in place of injured DT Star Lotulelei and had 3 sacks on the season. He was a key rotational player along the defensive front.
2016 Projection
Once the Panthers let Dwan Edwards walk Love seemed to be secure as a back-up DT even after the signing of DT Paul Soliai. But the 1st round selection of DT Vernon Butler in the 2016 draft has suddenly put Love on the proverbial roster bubble.
Defensive tackle Kyle Love
The Panthers have done a good job of keeping the roster fairly young this year after having a couple of key older veterans during last year's Super Bowl run. Love could be the odd man out in the four-man rotation after the Panthers drafted Vernon Butler in the first round. Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei are the starters, with Butler and free-agent acquisition Paul Soliai expected to back up. Carolina may want to develop a younger player for a fifth tackle -- David Newton
You know Butler is going to make the roster so that drops Love to 5th in the pecking order. Of course there is a good chance the Panthers go into the opener with 5 DTs. They did last season though it was necessitated by the Lotulelei injury. Love actually got the start in last season's opener.
So I feel like there is still a good chance Love sticks on the roster unless Butler just has an awesome preseason. Otherwise I think they keep him for a few games to
Percentage chance of starting at DT: 10%
Percentage chance making the roster: 50%
I found a single GIF for Love so here you go. He basically does his job and if the QB had not released the ball Love was about to drill him:
Nice play disguise by the Panthers.
Now here's an awesome 2015 Panther highlight vid to get your blood going, just because...