Panthers interested in Vikings RB Bennett?

He’s underachieved throughout most of his career and may not be the prototype running back for the Carolina Panthers. But don’t rule out the possibility of the Panthers showing some interest in Minnesota free agent Michael Bennett.

There’s a little bit of history here.

When Bennett was coming into the league in 2001, the Panthers were very high on him. Coach George Seifert was running the show at the time and the Panthers used their first-round pick on linebacker Dan Morgan, largely because he filled a huge need. Seifert is gone, but a couple of high-ranking officials who were with the team then (and were members of the Bennett fan club) have more power than ever. They may remember the potential they once saw in Bennett and take a shot that it’s still there.

This isn’t a situation where the Panthers will go head over heels for Bennett. But his market value shouldn’t be exceptionally high. If the price is right, the Panthers could make a play.

Bennett is similar in style to DeShaun Foster, who’s expected to be the feature back. They’re both speed runners and Carolina likes to think of itself as a power running team. But pairing Bennett with Foster could prompt the Panthers to make a few tweaks to their offense, and they still have a power runner in second-year pro Eric Shelton.