interesting spin on the tolbert signing....
Mike Florio of all people (sorry I know many of you despise him), made a good point this morning about signing Tolbert. According to him on WFNZ’s the Mac Attack,
the Panthers even didn't go after him. They weren't actively seeking a FB or insurance for Stewart. What it ultimately boiled down to was that Tolbert just really wanted to be here. It’s that simple. He wanted to play in the South, was excited about playing with Rivera, Chud and Cam, and was even willing to take less money to make it fit in our limited cap space. In Florio's own rare Panther-favorable words he said "Even if they didn't need him, there's something to be said about bringing in a good player that will be a big supporter of Cam and of what the team is doing."
I still think we should be doing more on defense. But this assessment of signing Tolbert makes a lot of sense to me. He might not get a lot of time on offense, due to 2 superior RB’s in front of him and an offensive scheme that seldom requires a FB. His playing time this season might often be limited to Special Teams, where he led the Chargers Special Teams last year with 22 tackles. But what he will be is a great team guy to have in the locker-room. He’ll be a huge supporter of Cam Newton, and will be behind everything that Chud and Rivera are doing. This type of player is worth squeezing onto a roster, even if his skillset is not immediately needed this season.
http://www.catscratchreader.com/2012/3/ ... ke-tolbert