CHARLOTTE -- Antwon Burton knew that the Panthers needed defensive tackle depth, a search that intensified when
"I actually had a tryout in Houston," Burton said. "I was on a plane to Houston, got to the Houston airport, ready to go to the hotel and I got a call from my agent that they wanted to sign me to the 53(-man roster).
"It was a little crazy, but that's how it goes sometimes."
The craziness was just beginning.
Now the Panthers need Burton to learn their defense as quickly as he changed his itinerary. His position coach is familiar: Brian Baker, his defensive line coach for the final two weeks of the 2008 season.
Burton might not know the scheme, but he at least knows what his coach will ask of him.
"There's going to be a lot of carryover from where he's been," said linebacker
"They're not going to put that much on him, but when he does go in there we need everything he's got for the time he has. That's all we ask."
So far, so good.
"He's worked pretty well today and has the rest of the week," said defensive tackle
Learning the strategy and where he needs to go on each snap might be the easy part for Burton. Developing proper timing and innate familiarity with his fellow linemen -- that takes more than three days of practice.
"You want to get some chemistry, because I think that with 'Big L' (Leonard) he was just starting to come around and was developing that personality," Beason said. "It's tough when guys get hurt, so now it's a new personality, somebody else you've got to learn and try to develop a relationship with.
"So the good thing about Red (Burton), I knew him before this; we had the same agent when I was coming out. I know him. You just need a guy who is what Coach (Ron) Meeks calls a 'werewolf in that gap.' That's his 'A' gap; he needs to own it and say, 'This is mine; this is where I need to be.' And if he does that, we'll be good."
