John Theus: Carolina Panthers claim OT John Theus off of waivers

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Offensive tackle John Theus has been claimed by the Carolina Panthers.

Carolina announced the acquisition on Thursday night. The Panthers placed cornerback Cole Luke on injured reserve in a corresponding move. Luke is currently dealing with an ankle injury. He didn't play in the Panthers' Week 1 win against the 49ers.

San Francisco waived Theus on Wednesday to make room for the signing of linebacker Elijah Lee.

Carolina also signed kicker Harrison Butker to the practice squad. Defensive tackle Eric Crume had his contract terminated and is no longer on the practice squad.

Theus, 23, was a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Georgia product played in four games last season, making one start for San Francisco. Theus was an ALL-SEC first team selection during his senior year for the Bulldogs. He started 48 games at Georgia.

Carolina now has 10 offensive linemen on its active roster. Those linemen include: Matt Kalil, Andrew Norwell, Ryan Kalil, Trai Turner, Daryl Williams, Amini Silatolu, Theus, Greg Van Roten, Tyler Larsen and Taylor Moton.

The Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars were the only teams in the NFL to not allow a sack during their Week 1 games last weekend. Carolina allowed 36 quarterback takedowns in 2016.