National Football League

Panthers sign Falcons free agent defensive tackle Soliai

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:49 p.m. ET

foxsports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Panthers have announced they've signed free agent defensive tackle Paul Soliai from the Atlanta Falcons to a two-year contract.

Financial terms were not released Tuesday.

The 6-foot-4, 345-pound Soliai is expected to backup Star Lotulelei.

Soliai, 32, joins Carolina after spending the past two seasons with Atlanta. He played in 14 games in 2015 with 10 starts and had 22 tackles, three tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery. He spent his first seven NFL seasons with Miami.

Coach Ron Rivera says in a release that Soliai gives the Panthers a ''veteran presence'' on the defensive line that ''will be a good compliment'' to starters Lotulelei and Kawann Short.

Soliai was drafted by Miami in the fourth round in 2007 and has played in 128 games with 86 starts.

---

Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL