Panthers sign safety Stevie Brown

The Carolina Panthers have signed free-agent safety Stevie Brown to a one-year contract.

The team brought Brown and fellow free-agent safety Donte Whitner in for workouts Saturday and soon after it was reported the team had chosen to sign Brown, but he left town without a contract. The Panthers made the signing official Wednesday morning.

Brown didn't play in 2015 and has been signed and cut by two teams since he last played an NFL down. He was a member of the New York Giants from 2012-2014 but missed the entire 2013 season with a torn ACL. He recorded 38 tackles and one sack in 16 games in 2014.

Backup strong safety Dean Marlowe suffered a hamstring strain three weeks ago that he's yet to recover from, while fellow backups Travell Dixon and Marcus Ball have also sustained knocks, likely precipitating the Brown signing.