On the same day the Carolina Panthers went to great lengths to keep their most important free agent, they let another one walk.

KingNumerous media outlets are reporting tight end Jeff King has agreed to terms with the Arizona Cardinals. That comes only a few hours after the Panthers got defensive end Charles Johnson to re-sign with the team.

That’s a tradeoff the Panthers will take any day. Johnson was a priority, while King was not. Although he had been a dependable player throughout his career, King was expendable because the Panthers are changing their offense to get their tight ends more involved as receivers.

They already went out and added Jeremy Shockey before the lockout and he’s expected to be the main pass catcher among tight ends. The team also may keep free agent Dante Rosario. Although King had decent hands, he wasn’t a threat to make things happen after the catch and rarely got open down the field.

His primary strength was as a blocker and that’s what the Cardinals were looking for.