CHARLOTTE - The Panthers have retained the rights to restricted free agent Mike Remmers, their starting right tackle last season, and have re-signed restricted free agent wide receiver Stephen Hill to a one-year contract.
By tendering a contract to Remmers, Carolina retains the right of first refusal on any contract offers made by other teams to Remmers by the April 22 deadline. The Panthers would receive a second-round draft pick if they chose to not match an offer.
Remmers took over as the Panthers' starting right tackle with five games remaining in the 2014 regular season and has been the starter for all 21 regular season games and all five postseason games since. The Panthers are 22-4 in those games.
An undrafted rookie out of Oregon State in 2012, Remmers joined the Panthers midway through the 2015 season when Carolina signed him off St. Louis' practice squad.
Hill, a second-round draft choice of the New York Jets in 2012, appeared poised to make an impact with the Panthers last season before suffering a catastrophic knee injury in training camp. He spent the 2014 season learning Carolina's system as a member of the practice squad. The Panthers signed him four days after the Jets waived him in the final roster cutdown that year. In two seasons with the Jets, the speedster out of Georgia Tech caught 45 passes for 594 yards and five touchdowns.
