Dan Connor

The Cowboys are hoping young studs Sean Lee and Bruce Carter will anchor the middle of their defense for years to come, but both have dealt with injuries during their college and short pro careers so there could be plenty of opportunities for veteran free agent Connor to play at ILB. If the circumstances are right, he could be a sneaky-good bye week play at some point.

After recording 47 tackles and one sack in 2010, Connor enters the 2011 season as Jon Beason's backup at middle linebacker. While Beason was rewarded with a monster contract in the offseason, he has suffered a number of nagging injuries, which could pave the way for Connor to get back on the field.

With Thomas Davis out for the balance of the season, Connor could get a chance to move into the middle linebacker spot if the Panthers decide to shift Jon Beason to the weak side.

Connor returned to the practice field in May after tearing his ACL in September, which bodes very well for his chances to earn a spot -- likely as the top backup linebacker -- for the Panthers this season. Connor may also be able to enter the mix at outside linebacker if he opens some eyes during training camp, as he could potentially replace Na'il Diggs as the strong-side linebacker.

Connor figures to add depth as the Panthers' primary backup and fourth linebacker at least early on during his rookie season, but he's got the size and football smarts to become an asset on the Carolina defense after setting the all-time record for tackles at Penn State (419). Jon Beason is firmly entrenched in the middle, but Connor could push Thomas Davis on the strong side or Landon Johnson on the weak side with an impressive showing during training camp.