CHARLOTTE – Safety Da'Norris Searcy and cornerback Ross Cockrell, defensive backs with 11 NFL seasons under their belts and a combined 65 starts over the past three seasons, have signed two-year contracts with the Panthers.
Both are former fourth-round draft picks by the Bills (Searcy in 2011, Cockrell in 2014), and both have ties to the state of North Carolina. Searcy played collegiately at the University of North Carolina, while Cockrell played at Charlotte Latin High School and Duke University.
Searcy, 29, was released by the Titans about two weeks ago in advance of the new league year, having served as a reliable reserve in 2017 and a starter for 27 games in 2015 and '16.