Top 5 Free Agent Signings in Panthers History: Linebackers Leave Eternal Legacy

Carolina's first hero behind center was Steve Beuerlein, a quarterback who was considered a journeyman until taking the helm for the Panthers as a free-agent addition in 1996. Beuerlein and his teammate Kerry Collins gave Carolina a real dose of legitimacy in the team's nascent years. Massive fans of the franchise, however, often rank alternative players as the top free agent signings in Carolina Panthers history.

Popular picks for the top free-agent mantle include Carolina's former tight ends and linebackers and a polarizing Panthers QB. Remarkably, several of the Panthers' best-ever acquisitions were signed away from their NFC South rival, the New Orleans Saints.

Eric Davis owned the Carolina Panthers franchise record for most interceptions with the team from 2000 through 2011, until Chris Gamble's 26th interception for Carolina snapped Davis' mark of 25 picks. The 5-foot-11 speedster from Alabama made the NFC Pro Bowl team in his first season in Charlotte, posting 60 combined tackles to go with three forced fumbles and five INTs in 1996. Davis was already a reigning name on the NFL All-Pro Team when he signed a long-term contract in Carolina.

The defensive back's crazy consistency shows up in his rate of passes intercepted. In 1997, Davis matched the five interceptions of his first year with the team. Then he recorded exactly five INTs again in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Youngsters might think Davis' yearly interception stats of 5-5-5-5-5 are a misprint, but they're a symbol of the work ethic and consistency of one of the Panthers' greatest cornerbacks.

Jake Delhomme was as maligned by the media as any starting quarterback of the 2000s. Delhomme was roasted for his interceptions thrown to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2008 NFC Divisional Round and raked over the coals for a poor performance in 2009, his final season at the helm for the Panthers. Yet, any truly objective look at the QB's reign reveals a signal-caller who not only set new franchise standards but lifted Carolina to the highest plateau of the postseason. 

Delhomme won 53 games for Carolina, leading the Cats to three playoff berths and a runner-up bid in the 2004 Super Bowl in his first season after arriving from New Orleans in 2004. The 6-foot-2 swashbuckler went 5-3 in the playoffs for the Panthers. His 20,975 career NFL passing yards were produced via 90 starts for the Panthers, compared to just six combined contests that Delhomme started for the Saints and Cleveland Browns in 1999 and 2010, respectively. Delhomme retired after one year with Houston in 2011. 

Kevin Greene may be the most talented tackler to ever toil for Carolina's defense. Greene arrived from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996 and helped the Panthers reach the NFC Championship Game, keying a fabulous linebacker corps alongside the iconic Sam Mills. The NFLPA voted Greene NFC Linebacker of the Year following a '96 season in which he led the NFL with 14.5 sacks. After a one-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Greene returned for a longer stay in Carolina, setting a franchise co-record with 15 quarterback takedowns and claiming the NFC's award again.

However, Greene's three years in Carolina were filled with rancor and hard feelings. He fought with the front office after the 1996 season, which led to his departure to San Francisco in 1997. Greene was suspended for one game in Dec. 1998 for grabbing and shoving the Panthers' linebacker coach, Kevin Steele. The Panthers only won 12 out of 32 contests during Greene's two-year encore with Carolina.

Tight end Wesley Walls stands behind Greg Olsen on the Panthers' career reception chart with 324 catches to Olsen's 524 with the team. However, among free agent receivers at the TE or the wideout position, Walls' amazing career in Carolina stands as the best. The powerful 6-foot-5 Walls developed into a strong combo tight end at the NFL level, making the NFC Pro Bowl roster in all but two of his seven seasons with the Panthers. Walls made the NFL All-Pro Team in 1996 after snagging a fantastic 63 receptions for 822 yards that season, going on to catch Collins' first touchdown pass in the playoff win over Dallas. 

Walls also played for the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Green Bay Packers, but never made the Pro Bowl while playing for any team other than Carolina. The Mississippi native retired after one solid, productive year for the Packers in 2003.

Sam Mills is in the conversation for the greatest linebacker in Panthers lore, despite playing only three seasons in Carolina. Arriving from the New Orleans Saints' famed linebacking corps in 1995, Mills shrugged off criticism of his age like opposing blockers, making 86 solo tackles in his first campaign in Carolina at 36 years old. Mills wore a Panthers helmet for his fifth Pro Bowl appearance after recording 5.5 sacks in his second year with the Cats. His interception of Dallas signal-caller Troy Aikman sealed the Panthers' first playoff win in 1996-97, after which Mills was voted a first-team NFL All-Pro.

Mills' interceptions included the amazing pick-six in the video below, which gave Carolina its first NFL victory:

Mills retired as a player in 1998, but he stuck with the organization as an assistant coach and was put in charge of Carolina's linebacking corps by the 1999 season. Players respected Mills as an undrafted free agent who reached the apex of NFL success. His quote, "keep pounding," became a rallying cry for the Panthers on their run to the Super Bowl appearance in 2003-2004.

Tragically, at the same time, Mills was ailing with intestinal cancer. The beloved New Jersey native passed away on April 18, 2005. Mills' jersey No. 51 became the first number that Carolina retired as of that September. Mills was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.