The Carolina Panthers have signed unrestricted free agent linebacker Landon Johnson from the Cincinnati Bengals, the team announced Saturday.

In four seasons with Cincinnati, Johnson (6-2, 232 pounds), played in 64 games and amassed 507 tackles, 3.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception and 17 passes defensed. The versatile linebacker started 53 games for the Bengals, making 21 starts at weakside linebacker, 20 at middle linebacker and 12 at strongside linebacker.

"We feel very fortunate we were able to get a player like Landon," said Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney. "He's a very smart and athletic linebacker."

Johnson, 26, started all 16 games for the second consecutive season in 2007, opening the first eight contests at weakside linebacker and the last eight at middle linebacker. He led the team in tackles for the third time in four years, compiling a career-high 143. Johnson also recorded one sack, two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for his first career touchdown, and five passes defensed.

In 2006, Johnson started all 16 games for the first time in his career and produced team highs of 132 tackles and three forced fumbles in addition to notching half a sack, one interception and five passes defensed. He finished third on the team with 99 tackles, forced two fumbles and registered one pass defensed in 2005.

A third-round draft choice (96th overall) by Cincinnati in 2004, Johnson became only the third rookie to rank first on the Bengals in tackles since 1976 with 133. After posting just nine stops in his first four games and not becoming a full-time starter until the seventh contest, he averaged more than 13 tackles in the final seven games, including a career-best 20 versus Pittsburgh.

Johnson attended Purdue, where he started 45-of-47 games and totaled 345 tackles. An All-Big 10 honorable mention as a senior in 2003, he topped the Boilermakers with 102 tackles.

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