Carolina Panthers wide receiver Armanti Edwards has gone from erstwhile training camp MVP to roster outcast in a span of two months.
A person informed of the move told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport on Tuesday that the Panthers are releasing Edwards.
The former Appalachian State quarterback is a reminder that second- and third-round draft picks can make or break a franchise. Former Panthers general manager Marty Hurney passed on Jimmy Grahamthree times to select Jimmy Clausen, Brandon LaFell and Edwards in the 2010 NFL Draft.
The Edwards pick ranks up there with handing a washed-up Jake Delhomme $13 million in guarantees as the biggest blunders of the Hurney era.
Hurney forfeited his 2011 second-round draft pick to move up to No. 89 overall for Edwards, who seemed to possess unlimited athletic potential but no NFL position.
Edwards didn't evolve into a reliable No. 3 receiver for the same reason Tim Tebow remains unsigned rather than a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end or H-back: Mastering a new position at the highest level of professional football is easier said than done.
After managing just 121 yards on five receptions in over three years with the Panthers, Edwards can expect to attract little interest on the open market. Browns coach Rob Chudzinski and Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson have ties to Edwards, but they never found a good reason to put him on the field.
Two different Carolina regimes discovered they couldn't turn Edwards into something he wasn't -- an NFL wide receiver with special ability as a kick-return specialist.
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