Bruce Irvin is already establishing himself as a leader with the Carolina Panthers. Less than three months after signing with Carolina in free agency, the veteran pass-rusher has become a mentor of sorts to his new team's young defenders, delighting Panthers coach Ron Rivera in the process. Not that he's surprised Irvin has made an imprint on Carolina, of course.

“He’s everything I expected him to be,” Rivera said, per 247 Sports' Steven Taranto. “He is definitely a veteran guy, and you do see him putting his arm around the young outside linebackers,” said Rivera. “It’s exciting for those guys to have a guy that’s done it and done it very successfully, so that’s one of the huge pluses about having him.”

Irvin signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Panthers in March, one that could reach $5 million if he hits certain incentives.

Best known for his days with the Seattle Seahawks, who he helped lead to a 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, Irvin signed a four-year, $37 million contract with the Oakland Raiders in 2016. He acquitted himself well after transitioning to linebacker full-time, totaling 15 sacks and 10 forced fumbles – including a league-leading six forced fumbles in 2016 – over his first two seasons in Oakland. Irvin was released midway through last season, though, then signed with his hometown Atlanta Falcons, finishing with 13 tackles and three and-a-half sacks in eight games.

At 31 years old, Irvin can no longer be counted on to make a consistent impact on a snap-by-snap basis. But he still has clear value as a situational pass-rusher, especially while imparting wisdom gleaned from a seven-year career to his less experienced Panthers teammates.