In what can best be described a curious move, the Panthers released DT Jason Shirley today and signed undrafted WR Hubert Anyiam. There's not a lot of information on this move at the moment, but I'm sure that Rivera has a good reason for releasing Shirley and replacing him with what is now the 26th WR on the 90 man roster.*

* - Ok, that could be a slight exaggeration, but still - how many WR's do we need?

I guess that answers the question "Where does Shirley fit in the 2012 Panthers defense?" as we now know that he doesn't fit anywhere. I find this move strange at best, because I thought Shirley would be a near-lock to make the final 53 man roster this season. I guess I was wrong.

Anyway, here's a little information on Anyiam, per CBS.com:

Listed at 6-0 and 204 pounds, Anyiam went undrafted and initially signed with the Chargers. At Oklahoma State, Anyiam appeared in 38 career games, recording 83 catches for 1,052 yards and nine TDs.

Maybe the Panthers hope they'll catch lightning in a bottle and figured Shirley was worth letting go to see what this kid can do on the field? I have no idea, but I'm sure we'll have answers soon enough. Stay tuned to CSR for any updates to this breaking story.