Getty ImagesAt the scouting combine last week, Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman left the strong impression that running back DeAngelo Williams had played his last snap as a member of the team.
On Monday, Williams confirmed that Gettleman’s message was received correctly. Williams told WBTV that Gettleman told him last week that the Panthers will be releasing him as they move toward the start of the new league year.
“We sat down and he told me ‘The fact of the matter is we’re going to have to release you‘,” Williams said. “I said you know, ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘because we don’t run the ball enough. Just like you said back before the season started, we don’t run the ball enough to keep you and both [Jonathan Stewart], so we’re going to release you’.”
Williams played in just six games during the regular season because of injuries, although he was able to return for the team’s playoff outings. He said he’s not “bitter” about the move, citing Steve Smith’s departure from Carolina last year as a sign that such decisions are part of life in the football business. Williams had 1,432 carries for 6,846 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns since joining the Panthers as a first-round pick in 2006.
Designating Williams as a post-June 1 cut will save the Panthers about $2 million on this year’s cap. They have Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert under contract for next season.
Hate to see him go…but not worth the $ anymore.
Sad fact of football.
All good things must come to an end. Sad to see 1/2 of Sonic and Knuckles leave. T_T Good luck in the future!
That has to hurt. Of course, he was usually hurt, so…
He’ll be running for some team this next season…just hope it isn’t another team in the NFC South!
Finally. Dude has been holding up a space for a younger, more productive back. Williams has been underwhelming for so long!
Great career here 34. We love you. His Pro Bowl snub a few years back is still one of the most disrespectful snubs in the history of the game (almost 2000 total yards, 18 rushing touchdowns missing out to players who didn’t even hit the 1000 mark but were more “popular”) He was an elite back in his prime who was never recognized as such because he as splitting carries with another excellent RB in Jonathan Stewart.
Don’t hang your head, De. Brandon LaFell got tossed outta Cam-rolina, and look at him now, with that SHINY SB ring on his finger 🙂 Ditto for Revis. It ain’t over until teams stop signing you. Start working out for next month’s Veteran Combine and wow ’em before your 32nd birthday in April, bruh.
Good player. Better person. – He was huge in getting the breast cancer awareness campaign started years back. Long before everyone else started to join up.
Hope you stay in the Panthers community!
Enjoy your retirement #34!
I love Dave Gettleman !!!
The last GM played the loyalty game and you cant do that in this league and and win year after year !!
It was time, past time to be honest and with the way Fozzy Whitaker showed his skills at RB, the writing was definitely on the wall. Williams still a great guy though and wishing him the best! #CP4L!!!
F O Z Z Y ! ! !
This is why he is being released:
Played in 6 games or less because of injuries and is on the wrong side of 30. There will also be a glut of running backs on the market who are under 30 like Matthews, Ridley, Vereen, Spiller, Ingram, and Moreno. Williams will be a bargain basement pickup for some team.
I think the question most teams will be asking is if he can stay uninjured does he have enough left in the tank to make him worth signing ?
A class act that, depending on how much gas he has left and how willing he is to make a deal, would surely be welcome by Titans fans in Middle Tennessee. (Remember the 2008 season and how Nashville and Charlotte both claimed their running backs were the true “Smash & Dash”?)
4 years too late #Nobodyhasitbetter #thisguyisafantasyNightmare
Is Johnny Stewart EVER healthy.
So the team with the seventh ranked rushing game and 20th ranked passing game wants to run less and throw more?
Yeah, this will end well.
My prediction is he will be backing up Forte in Chicago under John Fox…
Talented player who had a more than respectable career before injuries did him in.
That contract made no sense right from the start. He was never worth the kind of money they were paying him. Is Jonathan Stewart right behind him? He should be. Way too much money for RB contracts.
You said we dong run the ball enough, and your right. So bye bye, see ya later, your outta here.
Love it. Get right down to business.
Maybe DeAngelo should have kept his mouth shut…..
My prediction is he will be backing up Forte in Chicago under John Fox…
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Except what that what they really need behind Forte is a power back. If it were Stewart and not deAngelo, absolutely done deal.
And in any event, I think you will see the Bears roster skewing younger – not older – with the new regime in place.
Runningbacks are a dime a dozen now. It’s a devalued position. Sorry dude.
If DeAngelo said it’s true. then it’s true. You can’t believe a word Dave Gettleman says. Full stop!
DeAngelo Williams is second only to DeAngelo Barksdale.
Mike Tolbert ruined what could have otherwise been a great career by going to Carolina. His last two years in San Diego, he had 21 touchdowns and 1,200 yards rushing in part-time duty.
3 years into his time with the Panthers and he’s only got 622 yards and 12 touchdowns (and no touchdowns in 2014).
If nothing else, I hope Williams’ departure can get Tolbert some more action, but his prime years were squandered away.
Moral of the story: Don’t take marginally more money to go into a bad situation when you’re 26 years old heading into what’s supposed to be your prime years as a runningback.
Crazy how the value of RBs have decreased in the last decade. For that reason, as a Seattle fan, I hope Marshawn ins’t going to be making $12M+ next year and beyond.
Always hated when my team played against DeAngelo… strong, tough guy.
As for the last Lynch comment… yes, RB value is down, but Marshawn’s value to the Seahawks can’t be quantified the same as other RB’s. If you’re a true Hawk fan, then you should know that his “value” is greater than anyone on that team…
@bhlobos
I thought Shaun Alexander’s “value” to the team was pretty high in 2006 as well. He was 28 at the time (same as Mashawn) and that contract no longer looks good, at all.
He should have been released many years ago. Carolina had over 18M tied up to the RB position, no wonder why they rarely have success. He was good at one time but that was many years ago. NFL is all about the now, 3-4 years ago mean nothing.
Deangelo Williams is a class act and will always be a respected Carolina Panther. I wish him well with his new team and he still has some gas left in the tank if he can stay free from injuries. Good luck DeAngelo.
Great guy who served us well. All this pink you see teams and players wearing every October? DeAngelo Williams started it. It’s too bad the injuries started piling up. I’ll miss “Double Trouble.” Good luck in your future, DeAngelo!