As promised at the beginning of training camp by general manager Scott Fitterer, the fine-tuning of the Carolina Panthers’ ever-changing roster continued its steady pace on Thursday afternoon.
Their latest adjustment comes to the team’s secondary, with the signing of safety Brian Cole. Cole, who was worked out on Thursday morning prior to his addition, is now the fifth different player the Panthers have inked this week.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder initially committed to the University of Michigan as the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the state in 2014. After a quiet 2015 as a Wolverine and a step down to the junior college-level a year later, Cole transferred to Mississippi State University as a defensive back in 2017.
Following his three years as a Bulldog—which saw him total 78 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions over 17 games—Cole was drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 draft by the Minnesota Vikings. His last stop was with the Miami Dolphins, who had just waived him on July 16 after signing a reserve/future contract back in January.
As a result, the Panthers have also waived wide receiver Ventell Bryant. Bryant was set to serve a two-game suspension at the start of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
