CHARLOTTE – The Panthers have waived veteran wide receiver Jason Avant and have placed starting right tackle Nate Chandler on injured reserve with a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.
Their spots on the 53-man roster have been filled by wide receiver/cornerback De'Andre Presley and running back Mike Tolbert. Presley was promoted from the practice squad, while Tolbert was activated from injured reserve/designated for return.
Avant, whom the Panthers signed in the offseason to bring a veteran presence to the wide receiver position, ranks fourth on the team with 21 catches for 201 yards and one touchdown. Over the last five games, however, he had just four receptions for 22 yards.
Avant spent his first eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before being released in March and signed by Carolina in April. For his career, he has totaled 318 catches for 3,847 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Chandler, who started all 11 games at right tackle this season, underwent an MRI on his knee Monday after developing swelling in the aftermath of Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
"The doctors had a chance to look at it and gave us an update that this is one of those things that's going to take some time," head coach Ron Rivera said. "He'll have surgery on it."
Along with starting left tackle Byron Bell, undrafted rookie David Foucault and recently-signed Mike Remmers are now the only other players listed as tackles on the roster. Chris Scott is listed as a guard and played 64 percent of the snaps against the Falcons in a rotation with Trai Turner at right guard, but Scott also was active to back up Chandler and Bell at tackle as Foucault and Remmers were inactive.
Rivera said the team would look to Foucault, Remmers, Scott and guard Amini Silatolu as possible replacements for Chandler.
"Out of those four guys, we think we'll find our candidate," Rivera said.
