Tight end Jeremy Shockey signs one-year, $3 million deal with Carolina Panthers - NFL Update
Tight end, Jeremy Shockey, has signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers reported to be worth $3 million, of which, $1 million is guaranteed. The deal does not include a signing bonus, but does include a roster bonus of $812,500 so that it does
not create a problem as far as the team’s salary cap goes.
Shockey was released by the New Orleans Saints last week and also drew interest from the Miami Dolphins. However, he decided to ultimately sign with the Panthers and did so on Thursday.
Shockey will be back to working with Rob Chudzinski, who is the offensive coordinator with the Saints. He used to be tight end coach for the University of Miami when Shockey was with the Hurricanes.
"Time for the Next chapter," Shockey said. "This is a great opportunity for me, and I am excited to play football."
Ron Rivera, the new head coach for the Panthers, emphasized on acquiring a very good tight end when he was hired to replace John Fox in January 2011, after a horrible 2-14 season, the worst in the entire National Football League. Shockey could be the man
who Rivera is looking for although the last couple of years, in his nine years in the NFL, have been marred by injuries.
The 6ft 5in, 251 lb tight end was a Pro Bowler for four of the five seasons that he started with the New York Giants. However, his flamboyant attitude made problems for him, being known for feuds with the Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin and making foolhardy
comments.
Shockey was traded to the Saints at the end of the 2007 season and caught a game-winning touchdown pass in their Super Bowl win in 2009. However, Shockey had problems with injuries in all three seasons with the Saints, resulting in the team cutting him off
with one year left in his contract and $4.2 million due to him.
The best performance of his career was during his rookie year, as he started in a career high 14 of the 15 games that he played and recorded 74 receptions for 894 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded two seasons with seven touchdown receptions in 2005 and
2006.
His best performance last year was in the Saints’ Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, as he caught eight passes for 78 yards and one touchdown. He also started in the postseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks and caught two passes for 24 yards.
Shockey caught 41 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games during the 2010 regular season. If he can remain healthy, he will be the tight end that the Panthers have been searching for since 2003.
Tags: