David Newton is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Carolina Panthers. Newton began covering Carolina in 1995 and came to ESPN in 2006 as a NASCAR reporter before joining NFL Nation in 2013. CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Carolina Panthers signed defensive end Tershawn Wharton from the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason to shore up their league-worst run defense and pass rush. Now they’ll have to do without the former undrafted lineman out of Missouri S&T for two to four weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in Sunday’s 26-10 opening-day loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.