Deep into Day 3 of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers drafted running back Kenjon Barner in the sixth round. It wasn't a pick that got a lot of attention outside of Charlotte, but it might have provided a window into new general manager Dave Gettleman's thinking.
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With Barner in place, perhaps the Panthers would feel comfortable either releasing or -- more likely -- shopping DeAngelo Williams. Gettleman was asked about it on WFNZ-AM on Thursday.
"More often than not, nature is going to take its course," Gettleman said about all of his running backs. "You may have an injury, you may make a move. Anything's possible; the roster is fluid. It's never bad to have too many good players at one position."
The hosts asked if the Panthers might cut Williams or whether the halfback would be on the roster in Week 1.
"Right now, he's on the roster," Gettleman answered.
When pressed further on using the words "right now," Gettleman clearly wanted to avoid the subject.
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"None of us know if we're going to be here tomorrow," he joked.
We wrote about Williams as a potential salary-cap cut earlier this offseason, but it doesn't make sense to release him now. (Yes, he could be labeled a post-June 1 cut. But the Panthers could have designated Williams that way at any point.)
It's more likely that Gettleman was being vague out of habit, and he's aware that anything can happen in training camp. It sounds like if a team were willing to put together a deal for Williams in August, the Panthers certainly would listen.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
