The Carolina Panthers have signed free agent defensive tackle Paul Soliai to a two-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.
Soliai, 6-4, 345 pounds, joins Carolina after spending the past two seasons with Atlanta. In the 2015 season he played in 14 games with 10 starts at nose tackle for the Falcons, recording 22 tackles (17 solo), five quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
“Paul gives us a veteran presence and I think his experience most certainly will add to what we have already with Kawann and Star. I think he’ll be a good compliment to them both,” Coach Rivera said. “He’s a solid run-defending big man, and at the same time he’s a guy that can push the pocket and apply middle pressure on the quarterback. I also think his space-eating ability will allow our linebackers to run.”
A fourth-round draft choice (108th overall) out of Utah in 2007 by the Miami Dolphins, Soliai spent his first seven seasons in Miami, earning a Pro Bowl appearance in 2011. In his nine NFL seasons, Soliai appeared in 128 career regular season games with 86 starts, tallying 213 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
