According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Carolina Panthers cut veteran cornerback Drayton Florence and quarterback Jimmy Clausen from their roster this morning.
Back at it again this morning for #CutDownDay. First surprise: #Panthers cut veteran CB Drayton Florence, source says.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2013
#Panthers have released QB Jimmy Clausen, I'm told. Former 2nd rounder.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2013
Cutting Florence this late in the offseason is definitely a surprising move. After all, it was reported that throughout training camp, Florence was regularly seeing time with the starters on the outside. He also started on the outside in the preseason, although he was inconsistent when he played.
The plan at the cornerback position now seems to be to let the youngsters Josh Norman and Josh Thomas, who both had solid preseasons, play on the outside. Veteran cornerback Captain Munnerlyn will most likely start in the slot, which is his best position.
Unlike the Florence cut, releasing Clausen was pretty much expected by most fans and analysts. Clausen's strengths as a passer never truly fit the Panthers offense, and he continued to struggle with inconsistent performances this preseason. Panthers GM Dave Gettleman also comes from a background where two, not three quarterbacks are carried on the roster.
However, with a dearth of talent at the quarterback position on some teams in the NFL, expect Clausen to quickly be signed by another quarterback-needy team.
Make sure to stay tuned to CSR today as we'll continue to provide breaking news and analysis on the Panthers' final roster cuts.