According to a tweet from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, free agent guard Jeremiah Sirles will meet with the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte tomorrow.
#Vikings free agent G Jeremiah Sirles is headed to the #Panthers for a visit on Monday morning, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2018
The Panthers are in the market for offensive line depth after losing free agent Andrew Norwell to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Sirles would provide some depth at both guard and center for Carolina should they choose to sign him.
Sirles has been a valuable primary backup for the Vikings the last two seasons. Acquired by Minnesota in 2015, Sirles emerged as a legitimate key contributor during the 2016 campaign, participating in 14 games with 10 starts. An injury to starting guard Alex Boone in Week 3 of the 2016 season, ironically against Carolina, opened the door at left guard, allowing him to finish the contest there. Sirles played right tackle the following week and started the majority of the rest of the season, showing off his versatility.
With Minnesota’s offensive line back healthy for the 2017 season, Sirles moved back to his backup role, playing in 14 games with four starts. The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder primarily played guard and center. Despite his versatility, Sirles earned a grade of 45.2 on a scale of 1-100 from Pro Football Focus, coming in as the 48th-best guard in the league.
My take
With Norwell headed to Jacksonville and Amini Silatolu a free agent, the Panthers need someone to round out the depth chart on the offensive line. Sirles may not be the best guard/center combo in the league, but he should at least be decent enough as a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ guy should the Panthers have issues with injuries this coming season.
To put it another way — please don’t bring Silatolu back. Please sign Sirles instead.
What about you, Panthers fans? Do you think Sirles would be a good fit? Share your thoughts with us!
Poll
Do you think Sirles would be a good signing for the Panthers?
This poll is closed
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37%
Yes - we need offensive line depth
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54%
Yes - but only for the right money
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8%
No - there are better options