Panthers sign former college basketball player

The Panthers are turning to the hardwood for some help at tight end.

The team announced today that theyve signed former Division I college basketball player Colin Granger as a TE.

Granger spent five seasons playing basketball at Ohio, Western Carolina and Coastal Carolina, where he totaled 414 points and 322 rebounds.

As ESPNs David Newton notes , Granger was eligible to sign with any team since hes five years removed from high school.

Granger hasnt played football since the eighth grade, but he has the size to compete at the tight end spot.

The rookie is listed at 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, and hes instantly the tallest player on the Panthers roster.

Considering his size, it shouldnt be a surprise that plenty of teams considered adding Granger as a prospect.

According to Tony Pauline of Sportkeeda.com , there was legitimate interest in his talents, and six teams attended Grangers Pro Day last Friday.

In addition to the Panthers (who actually hosted Granger on an official-3o visit), the attendees included the Falcons, Texans, Eagles, Seahawks, and Vikings, per Pauline.

Ultimately, the Panthers efforts worked out, and Granger will now join a growing list of former basketball players who are hoping to follow the successful paths laid out by Tony Gonzalez , Antonio Gates , and Jimmy Graham .

As Newton points out, Panthers head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan had success with a previous project when George Fant made the Seahawks as a tackle/tight end.

According to Newton, Fant has worked with Granger and informed the Panthers leadership of his ability.

The Panthers have plenty of depth at tight end, but the team will presumably consider all of their options as they look to squeeze any production out of the position.

The teams current grouping includes the likes of Tommy Tremble , JaTavion Sanders , Jordan Matthews , James Mitchell , and Dominique Dafney .

This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission..

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