On a busy weekend of roster moves, the Carolina Panthers announced that they have released veteran receiver Torrey Smith.
After being traded from the Eagles last March in a move meant to add veteran leadership in Carolina's young receivers room, Smith, 30, posted career-lows in receptions (17) and receiving yards (190) and tied a career-low in touchdowns (2) in 2018. Smith also played the fewest games of his career (11) since being drafted in second round in 2011.
His most notable moment with the team came against the Eagles in Week 7 when he converted a crucial fourth down opportunity late in the game that helped position Carolina for its largest fourth quarter comeback victory in franchise history. He finished that game with a season-high 61 receiving yards.
Smith quickly found himself competing for his spot throughout training camp with the addition of former Patriots WR Kevin Hogan and more focus being placed on the development of wideouts D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel. Couple that with a nagging knee injury that placed him on the PUP list to start camp and you have the makings of a difficult uphill battle for a player entering Year 9.
A two-time Super Bowl champion -- with the Ravens in 2013 and Eagles in 2018 -- Smith holds career totals of 319 receptions for 5,141 receiving yards and 41 TDs.
Other roster cuts we're monitoring on Sunday:
- The Houston Texans released left tackle Matt Kalil after trading for Laremy Tunsil, the team announced. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, notes the Texans would have owed up to another $5.25 million in salary in roster bonuses if he remained on the team.
