Earlier today, news broke that the Panthers had asked Russell Shepard to take a pay cut, but he wasn’t too interested in the idea. Unsurprisingly, the veteran wide out asked for and was granted his release from the team, as reported by Joe Person.
The move has seemed imminent for weeks now. The acquisitions of veterans Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright coupled with the drafting of DJ Moore made Shepard the likely odd man out. His release also frees up some cap space for the Panthers, as Person notes below.