CHARLOTTE -- The Panthers continued setting their roster for the regular season on Monday, signing center Dustin Fry and cornerback
Fry just completed his third professional training camp, and has been in the league since the St. Louis Rams selected him in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played four games for the Rams as a rookie, making his deubt on special teams at Cincinnati on Dec. 9, 2007.
He spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad, staying there for just over two months before being promoted to the Rams' 53-man roster on Nov. 7, 2007. He returned to the Rams' practice squad on Sept. 1, 2008 after being waived at the final cutdown last year, but was waived once again by the Rams on Oct. 28. Cleveland added Fry to their practice squad last Nov. 5, where he remained for the balance of the season.
Fry, a Clemson alumnus, is a native of Summerville, S.C., where he played for the town's namesake high school under legendary head coach John McKissick. Fry was a SuperPrep All-America selection at Summerville and then became a perennial starter at Clemson, starting 36 of 47 games he played for the Tigers from 2003-06.
Walker had been with the Vikings since signing as a rookie free agent last year. They placed him on their practice squad one day after waiving him at the final cutdown last year, and he remained there for the rest of the season. He signed a reserve-future contract after the campaign, but could not crack their 53-man roster in his second attempt.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pound cornerback started 29 games at Oklahoma, including the 2004 BCS National Championship Game as a freshman in 2004. He was a full-time starter as a junior and senior in 2006 and 2007, where he was a teammate of 2009 Panthers fifth-round draft pick
Fry and Walker are the sixth and seventh members of the practice squad, leaving the Panthers with one spot to be filled.
