CHARLOTTE - The Carolina Panthers cut ties with disappointing quarterback David Carr on Wednesday and brought back an old favorite, receiver Muhsin Muhammad.

Carr was released a year after he signed a $6 million, two-year deal with the Panthers following a five-year stint as a starter for the Houston Texans. But Carr struggled so much when he took over for injured Jake Delhomme last season that he was eventually demoted to third-string QB.

Carr leaves Carolina as Muhammad prepares for his second stint with the franchise, a week after he was released by the Chicago Bears. Agent Joel Segal said Muhammad signed a two-year deal; financial figures were not revealed.

Muhammad was the Panthers' second-round draft pick in 1996 and spent nine seasons with Carolina before being released in a salary-cap move. The Panthers struggled to replace him, leaving star receiver Steve Smith to face constant double-teams over the past few seasons.

"I did talk to Steve and he felt like he needs another complement on the other side of him," Muhammad said at a news conference. "He kind of coerced me into coming back. He welcomed me back with open arms. ... We're excited about playing again with each other. We've always maintained our friendship outside of football."

It's unclear what role Muhammad will have in his return to Carolina. He turns 35 in May and had 40 catches last season.

The Panthers hope Dwayne Jarrett, who had a disappointing rookie season, will develop into the No. 2 receiver. Drew Carter and Keary Colbert may not be re-signed after struggling while splitting the starts last season opposite Smith.

Muhammad remains one of the NFL's top blocking receivers.

"If I'm the No. 3 receiver, they're going to have a real good No. 3 receiver on the field," said Muhammad, who is 64 yards shy of 10,000 yards receiving in his career.

PANTHERS' PRIORITIES

With the NFL free-agency signing period, and trading period, starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday, The Charlotte Observer staff writer Charles Chandler takes a look at the Carolina Panthers' needs and some players they could pursue:

DEFENSIVE END: The Panthers must strengthen their pass rush with an experienced defensive end to play the side opposite Julius Peppers. One option would be to re-sign Mike Rucker, an unrestricted free agent. But the team probably could try to find a younger replacement, such as Tennessee's Antwan Odom or Jacksonville's Bobby McCray.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE: Ideally, the Panthers will go into next season with a new tackle to pair with Jordan Gross, and with Travelle Wharton moving from left tackle to left guard. The best prospect is Dallas' Flozell Adams, but he turns 33 in May and will carry a heavy price tag. The best place to fill this need is in a tackle-rich draft.

RUNNING BACK: With the release of DeShaun Foster, the Panthers need a back to pair with DeAngelo Williams. There's an ideal option in free agency: San Diego's Michael Turner. But he'll be expensive, and the Panthers might be better to wait for a less high-profile free agent. Better yet, wait until the draft -- it's a good year for backs, too.

RECEIVER: Just because Muhsin Muhammad is returning doesn't mean the Panthers are set at receiver. It looks like they're saying goodbye to free agents Keary Colbert and Drew Carter. There are high hopes Dwayne Jarrett, a second-round draft pick last year, will make strides. But there is still a need for a fourth receiver to provide help for Steve Smith, perhaps Jacksonville's Ernest Wilford, Arizona's Bryant Johnson, Houston's Andre Davis, Oakland's Jerry Porter or Seattle's D.J. Hackett.

FREE SAFETY: The Panthers need to upgrade over Deke Cooper. They're good at strong safety with the re-signing of Chris Harris.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: There are rumblings the Panthers want to change the interior of their defensive line. They could use more quickness. Kris Jenkins might get traded. There's not much available in free agency, but in the trade market, Dewayne Robertson of the New York Jets, a former No. 1 pick, is available. He'd fit much better in the Panthers' 4-3 defense than he does in the Jets' 3-4. To get him, however, they'd have to negotiate a pricey long-term deal.

FULLBACK: Attempts to re-sign Brad Hoover, an unrestricted free agent, have not been successful. If he doesn't return, they'll need a replacement.