Written by Matt | 14 July 2009

CHARLOTTE -- It doesn't take long for a team's focus to turn ahead to the weeks and months to come, and for beginning to assemble the roster for the next season.

That process began this week, as the Panthers signed eight players to future contracts, including six members of the practice squad with which they closed the season. Like all future contracts, they do not kick in until after the entire season is completed, meaning that they are not officially on the Panthers' offseason roster until then.

Williams, a 6-foot, 310-pound rookie from Missouri, was a late-season addition to the practice squad, first joining the Panthers on Dec. 23, three days after rookie Nick Hayden had been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster as the Panthers were grappling with a tidal wave of injuries to their tackles that eventually claimed Maake Kemoeatu for two games, Damione Lewis for one and Gary Gibson for the season.

A year earlier, Williams capped a solid college career by leading Mizzou in sacks with 6.5 as the Tigers qualified for their first New Year's Day bowl in nearly four decades. He started 39 of the 50 games he played there but went undrafted the following April, joining the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent. The Ravens waived him at the close of the preseason.

< Prev		Next >