The Carolina Panthers on Wednesday worked out former New York Giants tackle Will Beatty, according to a league source.
This should go without saying, but let's go there anyway — the Panthers didn't bring in Beatty with the intention of eventually sliding him into a starting role. It also may not be a direct shot at Daryl Williams, who's coming along, but slower than expected.
The David Foucault experiment is all but done, and while Donald Hawkins has gotten all the second-team reps since the preseason opener, the Panthers still aren't all that high on him.
Ideally, you'd have more than one serviceable tackle in a backup role, so the bench there is dangerously thin at the moment.
What if something happens to left tackle Michael Oher? Mike Remmers would slide to the left side with Williams coming in on the right. If that's not iffy enough, what if something then happens to one of those two?
Tackle depth is a concern and bringing in Beatty as a swing tackle could help address the issue before it has a chance of becoming bigger.
According to Tom Rock of Newsday, Beatty "will remain patient and continue to weigh his options, ideally signing with a team where he can start on the offensive line." That's not the Panthers or the Jags, who have reportedly already offered Beatty a contract. The Eagles are also "keeping an eye" on him as they await Lane Johnson's appeal of a 10-game suspension.
Even if the Panthers liked what they saw in Beatty's workout, how much are they willing to spend on a 31-year-old coming off a missed season with a torn left pectoral and right rotator cuff?
As we've seen plenty of times, general manager Dave Gettleman isn't going to pay above value. If Beatty's looking for a starting job, there's a decent chance he's probably also looking for more money than Gettleman has in mind.