Panthers Roster Cuts: WR Stephen Hill and Ten Others Released

The Panthers have made their first round of cuts today, with still four names to go before the four o’oclock deadline on Tuesday, August 30th. Here are the first eleven to be released:

• LB Jared Barber
• WR Avius Capers
• TE Braxton Deaver
• G Reese Dismukes
• DT Ray Drew
• OT David Foucault
• WR Stephen Hill
• DE Tom Lally
• C Matt Masifilo
• WR Miles Shuler
• OT Willie Smith

The two most surprising names on this list have to be UDFA TE Braxton Deaver and OT Willie Smith who was acquired less than two weeks ago. Deaver simply found himself in a TE group that got deep really quickly on the back end of the roster, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another team picks him up and allows him to play preseason game 4 for them. Willie Smith is only surprising because of his short tenure, but we didn’t expect much from him to begin with. I did however expect he would get past first cuts.

The two big names here are Stephen Hill and David Foucalt. Hill simply has been unable to rebound in any significant way from his devestating knee injury last summer, and has probably seen his last NFL action. A lot of people had high hopes, but sometimes life has other plans. Foucalt is another example of outstanding measurables but a lack of ability to put it together at an NFL level. It is almost certain he will head back to the CFL at this point.