Panthers fortify defense with one-time Super Bowl champ

Nick Scott was one of several veteran safeties who were released at the start of free agency, but he has not needed to wait long to find a new deal. Scott is joining the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This will be a one-year deal, ESPN’s David Newton adds. The move has now been made official by a team announcement.

The 28-year-old spent his first four seasons with the Rams, with whom he won a Super Bowl, working alongside Ejiro Evero during that span. The latter is in place as the Panthers defensive coordinator, so this Carolina pact represents a reunion in that respect for Scott. He will join a safety room that recently added another ex-Ram in the form of Jordan Fuller.

Scott took on full-time starting duties during his final season in Los Angeles, something that helped his free-agent stock. He inked a three-year, $12M deal with the Bengals last offseason, but his debut campaign in Cincinnati did not go as planned. Scott was replaced in the starting lineup by Jordan Battle midway through the season, and as a result, it came as little surprise the former was released last week.

The Bengals moved quickly in free agency by adding Geno Stone, a move that further pointed to Scott being let go. Cincinnati has also brought back a familiar face (Vonn Bell) at the safety spot, signing him not long after his Panthers release. The latter’s departure, coupled with that of Jeremy Chinn, left Carolina in need of multiple additions in the secondary.

Scott was held without an interception or pass deflection during his time with the Bengals, and he allowed a passer rating of 99.6 in coverage. Those struggles no doubt hurt his value and contributed to this short-term flier being available only one offseason after he secured a multiyear accord. Scott will compete for a starting spot this summer, but at a minimum, he will provide Evero with an experienced and familiar depth option.