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Early Wednesday evening former New York Giants middle linebacker Chase Blackburn posted on his Twitter account that he had joined the Carolina Panthers. Blackburn had been a free agent.
Thanks for 8 great yrs @giants. But it's time for the #nextChapter @panthers. Excited for the new opportunity. Where all the Panther fans at
— Chase Blackburn(@Blackburn5793) March 27, 2013
According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Blackburn signed a two-year deal with the Panthers, whose new general manager, Dave Gettleman, is the Giants' former director of pro personnel. Blackburn moving on from the Giants seemed imminent when the team signed Dan Connor last week.
[Related: Tracking other Giants' free agents]
The Giants were interested in bringing Blackburn back, but only for a one-year deal. He also received interest from the Dallas Cowboys early in free agency.
Blackburn spent eight years with the Giants as primarily a special teams guy. He wasn't asked to come back to the team when he hit free agency in 2011, but rejoined the team in December that year when the Giants suffered injuries. He helped lead the team through the playoffs and had a crucial interception to help them win Super Bowl XLVI.
The Giants have Connor and Mark Herzlich to compete for the starting middle linebacker job. They will also possibly look to the draft for more.
[Note by Ed Valentine, 03/27/13 6:48 PM EDT: don't forget to check back around 8 p.m. ET or a little after. Jesse Bartolis and I will be doing a Google + Hangout regarding the draft. ]
You can follow Kelsey O'Donnell on Twitter @KelsODonnell