Panthers cut McClover, Holt

CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers seemed to favor young players with potential over some established veterans Saturday when they made their final big preseason roster cutdown.

Defensive end Stanley McClover, safety Terrence Holt, and guards Milford Brown and Toniu Fonoti were among the more surprising veterans who were cut.

Cornerback Ricardo Colclough might have added himself to the list when he was arrested for driving while impaired early Saturday morning, just hours before team officials started asking players to turn in their playbooks.

Youngsters Hilee Taylor, a defensive end from North Carolina, and guard Mackenzy Bernadeau were two raw talents who were kept over some veterans.

Though Taylor is an undersized end (250 pounds), the Panthers like his potential to develop into an edge pass rusher.

General manager Marty Hurney said it wasn't an easy call keeping Taylor over McClover, a third-year veteran who likely will be claimed off of the waiver wire by another team.

"We just felt Hilee showed some upside," said Hurney. "We think he will continue to improve.

"Stanley played well. ... They both have pass rush abilities. Hilee is probably a little bit more raw, but he had a good preseason, so we made the decision."

Bernadeau, from tiny Bentley College, was the Panthers' final draft pick, but looked and played the part of a promising NFL prospect in the preseason.

He has good size (6-foot-4, 308) and quickness for a big player.

Brown and Fonoti are former NFL starters, but they were part of a second-team offensive line that struggled throughout the preseason.

Hurney said releasing Holt, a former starter for Detroit and Arizona, was particularly difficult.

However, the Panthers made the move because the backups they kept, Nate Salley and Quinton Teal, are more valuable on special teams.

"Terrence came in and played extremely well for us and really brought a lot of intangibles into our locker room," said Hurney.

Other highlights of the cutdowns:

Quarterback Brett Basanez was released as expected after Friday's trade for veteran backup Josh McCown.

However, Basanez could be signed to the practice squad if no team picks him up on waivers by noon today.

It's still uncertain who'll return kickoffs and punts until Ryne Robinson returns from a knee injury.

As of now, it would likely be first-round pick Jonathan Stewart on kickoffs and cornerback Chris Gamble on punts.

However, the Panthers could add a player released by another team.

The Samie Parker experiment lasted only five days. He was signed Tuesday after Denver cut him, but his audition as a kick returner didn't go well in the final exhibition at Pittsburgh.

Colclough also was an option as a returner - but not after his arrest.

Hurney wouldn't say the arrest was the sole reason for Colclough's release, but made it clear it was a factor.

"Obviously, we were sorting through the roster cuts this morning and the timing wasn't very good, that's for sure," he said.

The Panthers kept eight linebackers because they have so much talent and depth at the position.

But that number, plus the fact that they kept Rhys Lloyd to handle kickoffs, means positions such as running back are short.

There are only four running backs on the roster - DeAngelo Williams, Brad Hoover, Nick Goings and Stewart.

Lloyd did such a good job booming kickoffs into the end zone during the preseason that the Panthers felt they had to keep him, especially since field position is such an important component of their style of play.

"It became more and more evident each week that was a decision that made sense," said Hurney.

Two players the Panthers drafted in April were cut and could return to the practice squad - defensive tackle Nick Hayden (sixth round) and offensive tackle Geoff Schwartz (seventh).

Others cut were running backs LaBrandon Toefield and Decori Birmingham; fullback Troy Fleming; wide receivers Travis Taylor, Will Buchanon and Chris Hannon; safety Joe Fields; former starting guard Evan Mathis; guard/tackle Reuben Riley; linebacker Tim Shaw; defensive tackle Stephen Williams; tight end Chad Upshaw; and defensive back Darren Toney.