Jeff Byers placed on IR, Panthers sign Geoff Hangartner

The Carolina Panthers placed offensive lineman Jeff Byers on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Byers was the primary backup to Chris Scott at right guard.

That's a big issue, given that Scott is currently dealing with a sprained knee sustained in the team's 34-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He's considered day-to-day with the injury and will likely miss some practice time this week. The team had to go with Nate Chandler, who was a defensive lineman before becoming a backup offensive tackle.

Carolina is bringing in outside help to replace Byers, however, as Wilson reports the team has signed veteran Geoff Hangartner. Hangartner was with the Panthers during training camp but he was released during roster cuts. It's likely that Chandler will take some starting snaps in practice, but Hangartner was the starter before being released in August, so he could take over as soon as Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers.