Panthers sign Hoover to new deal

Feb 29, 2008 - 7:14 AM CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) - With its backfield situation in flux, the Carolina Panthers are keeping fullback Brad Hoover in the fold.

The Panthers reached a three-year contract agreement with Hoover late Thursday night, just hours before he was to become an unrestricted free agent, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 31-year-old Hoover has played eight seasons with Carolina since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Western Carolina in 2008.

With the team undecided on DeShaun Foster or DeAngelo Williams as the starting running back next season, Hoover will lend some stability to the backfield.

"He's just happy to stay a Panther," Hoover's agent, Tim Irwin, told the newspaper.