Thomas

Keiser

Undrafted after 27 starts at Stanford, Keiser was signed to Carolina’s practice squad in early September. He’ll add depth up front while contributing primarily on special teams.

Keiser was a second-year special teamer that had four tackles in four games this season.

A third-year undrafted free agent out of Stanford, Keiser notched four sacks as a rookie, but played just 106 snaps before an elbow injury ended his 2012. Keiser’s release is a surprising move by a Panthers team with little to no proven sack production behind DE starters Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy.

Keiser (6-foot-3, 261) was cut by the Panthers three days ago. The 24-year-old undrafted free agent out of Stanford has 4.5 career sacks in 311 defensive snaps, and he’ll compete at a wafer thin outside ‘backer spot in San Diego.

Keiser was a highly productive pass rusher at Stanford, and had four sacks in eight games with the Panthers in 2011. Unfortunately, he’s replacing Dwight Freeney on the 53-man roster and that will be an enormous downgrade.

Keiser recorded 2.5 sacks in the regular season dress rehearsal against the Cardinals’ patch-work offensive line. It doesn’t bode well for him that he couldn’t make a Chargers team starving for pass rushers.

Hours after the Bolts beat the Chiefs to secure a playoff spot, Keiser and another man had an altercation that turned into a fight at a San Diego-area restaurant. Keiser was arrested at 10:50 PM and posted $8,000 bail and is no longer in jail. He’s expected to play Sunday against the Bengals.

He goes to make room for DE Josh Mauro, a practice squad callup.

Keiser has nine career sacks across 24 games, and is a worthwhile flier for the pass rush-needy Cardinals. He’ll be a rotational edge rusher in Arizona.