And away we go, first cuts in

[Laetitia]

There will be some names filtering out over the course of the day, mostly as agents and players themselves break the news about releases on twitter.

The first we've heard so far is OT Rob Petitti, which wasn't entirely unexpected. The upshot of his release is that the Panthers likely feel confident that RT Jeff Otah will be back sooner rather than later.

Otah's not expected to be ready for the opener against the New York Giants (primarily because he hasn't been activated from the active-PUP list and begun practicing yet). But if they thought he was going to be down any length of time, they might have kept Petitti to provide insurance for RT Geoff Schwartz.

-- Offensive line's going to be a position worth watching as the weekend develops anyway.

The Panthers are rock-solid with their first six (the projected starters plus Schwartz), and they feel OK about backup LT Garry Williams.

RG Duke Robinson's worth watching, based on his knee injury Thursday night. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, it's an MCL sprain, but not considered terribly serious.

Coaches like second-year C-G C.J. Davis, but going into next weekend's opener with Williams and Davis as your backup blockers isn't the most comfortable position to take, and they could look for some help there from outside.

-- One small fact that could help a few draft picks anyway is that the Panthers would have to essentially pay them anyway.

According to a little-known clause in the CBA (good story earlier this week by Chris Mortensen), any draft picks who are cut will have 85 percent of their salaries distributed to other rookies who make the team.

Long story short, you're paying your picks anyway, so you might as well get something out of them.

For most of the draft class, it won't matter, as they're going to make it anyway. But for guys on the bubble such as QB Tony Pike, WR David Gettis and CBs Robert McClain and R.J. Stanford, it could offer a last-minute lifeline.

Not that those guys don't have their own merits, but in the case of Pike in particular, the difference between him and Hunter Cantwell might be consdered small enough that $272,000 could tip the scales.

-- We apparently won't have a Ricardo Colclough situation this year. A check of arrests in Mecklenburg County overnight showed no Panthers made the list (though it is early, and you never want to underestimate anyone).

Colclough was the guy who got busted for drunk driving the night before final cuts in 2008 and was promptly cut from the team.

He would have made it but for the arrest, but he was fringe enough that it was easier for them to make the move.

His release made room for CB C.J. Wilson to hang around, and once he recovers from his concussion, Wilson's expected to hang around again this year.

—- Darin Gantt

More...

[gmonet]

Yeh, I remember those days..we were prolly the 2nd badddest team after the '83 Raiders! We got more police blotter reports than the N.Tryon district!

[thunderraiden]

ur not supposed to post the entire article laetitia.

...stupid bitch.

[The Don]

ur not supposed to post the entire article laetitia.

...stupid bitch.

hey, c'mon now... her titties make up for it.

[Carolinator]

ur not supposed to post the entire article laetitia.

...stupid bitch.

umad?