On Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers added additional veteran talent to the team's roster when they signed former Carolina Panthers inside linebacker and special-teamer David Mayo to a two-year contract. News of the signing was first reported by Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area:
The #49ers signed LB David Mayo to a 2 year deal.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 14, 2019
During his four NFL seasons with the Panthers, Mayo made the majority of his impact on special teams, where he played on punt and kickoff coverage and return units, compiling 326 special-teams snaps throughout his career. Mayo also filled in as a backup inside linebacker to both MIKE linebacker Luke Kuechly and WILL linebacker Thomas Davis.
Mayo started at WILL linebacker for the Panthers to begin the 2018 season, while Davis served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. However, Mayo failed to impress during his extensive playing time, and was not viewed as a potential permanent replacement for Davis by the Panthers' coaching staff.
Instead, Carolina's front office chose to part ways with Mayo, despite Davis' plans to leave the team during the 2019 offseason. Davis signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this week.
The Panthers originally selected Mayo in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Mayo was the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 after he tied the Sun Belt Conference record with 154 tackles at middle linebacker for the Texas State Bobcats.
In order to make the 49ers' final roster, Mayo will need to excel on special teams and provide value as a backup inside linebacker. San Francisco has a full group at the linebacker position, but the team's recent release of backup LB Brock Coyle should provide Mayo with additional opportunities to prove his worth to his new team during the preseason.
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