Panthers Waive QB Brad Kaaya, Sign LB Andrew Gachkar

The Carolina Panthers announced that they’ve waived QB Brad Kaaya and signed LB Andrew Gachkar. Carolina also signed CB Zack Sanchez and RB Jalen Simmons to their practice squad.

The Panthers ‘ practice squad now consists of:

1. WR Mose Frazier
2. OT Blaine Clausell
3. DE Zach Moore (Exception)
4. DE Efe Obada (International)
5. S Damian Parms
6. TE Bucky Hodges
7. WR Austin Duke
8. WR Jamaal Jones
9. LB Ezekiel Bigger
10. CB Zack Sanchez
11. RB Jalen Simmons

This comes a day after the Panthers surprisingly promoted QB Garrett Gilbert, which left them with four quarterbacks on their active roster.

Kaaya, 22, was drafted by the Lions in the fifth-round of this year’s draft after electing to leave the University of Miami early and enter the 2017 NFL Draft, even though some evaluators believe it was in his best interest to return to school for another season.

The Lions waived him as they cut their roster down to 53-players and he was later claimed off of waivers by the Panthers.

Kaaya is in the first year of a four-year, $2.52 million rookie contract that included a $123,356 signing bonus and is set to make a base salary of $465,000 this year.

During his college career, Kaaya has thrown for 9,968 yards while completing 60.6 percent of his passes to go along with 69 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He’s posted a passer rating of 146.2 during his three years at Miami.

Gachkar, 28, is a former seventh-round pick of the Chargers back in 2011. He played out his four-year, $2,085,900 rookie contract with the Chargers before signing a two-year deal with the Cowboys back in March of 2015.

Gachkar finished out that contract and signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent. However, Jacksonville waived him as they trimmed their roster down to the 53-man limit.

In 2016, Gachkar appeared in all 16 games for the Cowboys and recorded 10 tackles and no sacks or interceptions.