The Carolina Panthers have expressed some interest in signing free agent safety Donovin Darius, who was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to sources.

   However, it's uncertain if the team has made him a concrete offer at this point or if talks are still in the preliminary stages. Either way, there has been some contact made. Oakland and Buffalo are also interested, but you'd have to think Darius, who is 32, would want to come to a team that gives him a shot to win the Super Bowl -- and certainly Carolina appears much closer than Oakland and Buffalo.

   The problem with Darius is he's coming off two severe injuries.

   He broke his leg last year and tore the ACL in his knee the year before that, causing him to miss more than 20 games. Remember, the Panthers took a chance last  year on another veteran safety with a history of injury problems (Shaun Williams) and things didn't work out well.

   Still, it wouldn't be a bad move for the Panthers to some depth give their core safeties include Mike Minter (retiring after this season), Nate Salley (unproven) and Deke Cooper (journeyman).