The Carolina Panthers claimed two wide receivers off waivers today — Brandon Zylstra and Ray Ray McCloud — and have to make corresponding moves before 4 p.m. ET to get their roster to the league required 53 players. According to a report by Adam Schefter, they have made their first move by releasing veteran wide receiver Torrey Smith.
This makes sense from a business standpoint because Smith’s salary is not guaranteed and carries no dead money against the salary cap. Smith had already agreed to take a pay cut from $5 million to $3 million for the 2019 season, but unfortunately for him the numbers just didn’t work out for him to remain on the roster in 2019.