Buccaneers "interested" in guard Nate Chandler

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are interested in guard/tackle Nate Chandler, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The guard was cut by the Carolina Panthers this week after missing the entire season with a knee injury.

Chandler was an undrafted free agent in 2012, and has started 19 games for the Carolina Panthers since then, most of them at guard. He started 11 games in 2014 and was expected to be the Panthers' primary backup tackle before his knee injury this past season. For the Bucs, he's most likely to feature as a swing backup who can play multiple positions on the line -- those players are always valuable, and the Bucs do lack some depth.

Chandler could also become a competitor for a starting spot at left guard, if Logan Mankins retires -- something the  Bucs still don't have clarity on. Kevin Pamphile looked good filling in for Mankins when he was injured last year, but he could use some competition. The Bucs also have Evan Smith as a backup center who can play guard, but it's not clear whether they want to keep him.