Panthers add RB Toefield, LB Johnson

The Panthers finally added some much needed upgrades on Friday, agreeing to terms with former Bengals linebacker Landon Johnson and signing former Jaguars running back LaBrandon Toefield to 3-year and 1-year deals, respectively.

Johnson's deal is reportedly worth $10 million over 3 years, with a reported $3 million signing bonus.

The 27-year old linebacker will battle with incumbent Na'il Diggs for a starting position. A third-round pick out of Purdue in 2004, the 6' 2", 232 lb. linebacker led the Bengals in tackles 3 out of 4 seasons with the team.

Johnson is an athletic linebacker that has experience playing all of the linebacker positions in the 4-3 set, is a devout Christian and is regarded as a high-character locker room leader.

The Panthers deepened their running back corps by signing Toefield, a 2003 fourth round pick of the Jaguars, to a 1-year contract. Financial terms were not available. Toefield stands 5' 11" tall, weighs-in at 235 lbs., and could provide to be the big-framed pile-mover the Panthers have been looking for since Stephen Davis' exodus a few seasons ago.

Stashed away on the Jaguars' depth chart behind Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, Toefiled will get an opportunity to make an impact on the field with the Panthers, something he wouldn't get barring injury with Jacksonville.