The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with free agent quarterback David Carr, the team announced Friday. Carr, 27, started all 16 games for the Houston Texans last year and completed a career-best 68.3 percent of his passes on 302-of-442 passing for 2,767 yards and 11 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He was released by Houston last month.
Carr (6-3, 216 pounds) spent his first five NFL seasons with the Texans. He has played in 76 career games with 75 starts and completed 1,243-of-2,070 passes for 13,391 yards and 59 touchdowns with 65 interceptions to compile a passer rating of 75.5.
"Jake's (Delhomme) our starter, but we wanted to get the quarterback position as deep as possible and we feel David Carr is a talented quarterback," said Carolina Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney. "We want someone who can come in and give us the best chance to win. David felt comfortable with the situation and the people he met, and we're pleased he did."
The first overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft by Houston ahead of Carolina's selection of defensive end Julius Peppers, Carr started all 16 games as a rookie and passed for 2,592 yards, the second-most for a rookie quarterback on an expansion team in NFL history. He set an NFL record in 2003 for consecutive starts by a quarterback on an expansion team with 23. In both the 2004 and 2005 campaigns, Carr completed more than 60 percent of his pass attempts and threw more touchdowns than interceptions.
A product of Fresno State, Carr completed 587-of-934 passes for 7,849 yards and 70 touchdowns with 23 interceptions to generate a 141.4 quarterback rating in 37 career contests. As a senior in 2001, he led the nation in passing yards with 4,308 and touchdown passes with 42, becoming just the sixth quarterback in NCAA history to amass 4,000 passing yards and 40 touchdown passes in the same season.
David Carr, the first pick in Houston Texans history, and the first overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft was signed Friday by the Carolina Panthers. Carr will serve as backup to current starter Jake Delhomme.

Carr, a five-year starting quarterback for the Texans, completed 60 percent of his passes, but threw 65 interceptions and was sacked 249 times. He completed 68.3 percent of his passes last season, a career high. Carr was sacked 249 times in the past five seasons with the Texans, and was released by the organization after they made a trade with the Atlanta Falcons to acquire Matt Schaub, who had served as the backup quarterback to Michael Vick.

The Panthers were in need of a quality backup quarterback after releasing seven-year veteran Chris Weinke in March. Weinke had struggled last season, leading the team to a 1-2 record during an injury to Delhomme. 

The move means the Panthers now have the top two picks from the 2002 draft. Carolina selected defensive end Julius Peppers with No. 2 pick. The Panthers have not done much outside of the Carr deal this off-season, with 21 of last season's 22 starting players returning to the team.