Carolina Panthers sign former Tennessee LB Aaron Beasley

The Carolina Panthers have signed former Tennessee star linebacker Aaron Beasley, the team announced on Thursday.

Beasley went undrafted out of Tennessee after spending five years with the Vols. His final year at Tennessee in 2023 he finished second on the team with 69 tackles while starting all 13 games.

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The Panthers signed Aaron Beasley on Thursday following a workout with the team. The news came the same day that Carolina traded linebacker Michael Barrett to the Seahawks for cornerback Mike Jackson.

To make room for Beasley, the Panthers waived-injured offensive lineman Badara Traore, who played college football at LSU.

Barrett was drafted by the Panthers in the seventh round of this year’s NFL Draft out of Michigan. Jackson is a veteran cornerback who spent the past three seasons with the Seahawks. He was a fifth-round pick out of Miami in the 2019 NFL Draft.

It remains to be seen if Beasley is able to make the team for the Panthers, but either way, this is an excellent opportunity for him to show what he can do at the NFL level.

The Georgia native signed with Tennessee after being rated as a three-star linebacker in the class of 2019, per the On3 Industry rankings.

Aaron Beasley appeared in nine games as a true freshman in 2019, contributing mostly on special teams. In 2020 he appeared in eight games on special teams and as a backup linebacker.

Beasley moved into a much more prominent role in 2021, taking over as Tennessee’s starting MIKE linebacker. He appeared in all 13 games and made 11 starts, finishing with 84 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss.

In 2022 he was one of the top linebackers in the SEC, recording 76 tackles, including a team-high 13 tackles for loss.

More on Panthers trading for cornerback Mike Jackson from Seattle Seahawks

Carolina was looking for depth at the cornerback position as starter Dane Jackson is dealing with an injury that could keep him out of the start of the regular season. The Panthers also lost Lamar Jackson to a knee injury.

Mike Jackson, 27, started his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the team in the fifth round back in 2019 and started the season on the practice squad. Later in the season, Jackson was signed by the Detroit Lions and appeared in one game. Before the 2020 season, Jackson signed with the New England Patriots and played in one game.

After being waived by the Patriots before the 2021 season kicked off, Jackson signed with the Seahawks. In his first season with the team, Jackson played in two games and had two passes defended. In 2022, Jackson started all 17 games and recorded 75 tackles, one interception, and 12 passes defended. Last year, the Miami Hurricanes alum played in all 17 games with four starts and notched 34 tackles and five passes defended.