Panthers sign LB Kamu Grugier-Hill

Former Eagles and Texans starting linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill will end up in Carolina. The Panthers announced an agreement with the veteran defender Tuesday.

The Panthers have some openings at the position after releasing Damien Wilson and letting Cory Littleton walk in free agency. The team still has Shaq Thompson and hybrid player Frankie Luvu in place as its linebacker regulars. Grugier-Hill, who is going into his age-29 season, can provide some experience as a depth player and special-teamer.

The Texans cut Grugier-Hill just before last year’s trade deadline, granting the starter a release days before he would have been subject to the waiver process. The former Patriots draftee-turned-Eagles contributor finished out the season with the Cardinals, who used him as a backup in six games. While the Texans deployed Grugier-Hill as a starter, he has spent more games as a backup.

Grugier-Hill started 20 games for the Texans between the 2021-22 seasons, having reunited with Nick Caserio, who was on the Patriots’ staff when the team drafted him seven years ago. He finished with career-high marks in tackles (108) and sacks (three) in 2021. He was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII-winning team and then started 10 games for Philadelphia’s 2018 edition, moving to Houston after his rookie contract expired. The Eagles used the Eastern Illinois alum steadily on special teams, and he resumed that role with the Cardinals, seeing time on 66% of Arizona’s ST snaps during a six-game cameo with the NFC West team.

This will be Grugier-Hill’s sixth team. After the Patriots moved on before his rookie season began, he moved to Philly, Miami, Houston and Arizona.