The DeAngelo Williams era in Carolina is over. It lasted nine seasons, as Williams was drafted 27th overall out of Memphis in 2006. He totaled 1,433 carries for 6,846 yards and 48 touchdowns, adding 178 catches for another 1,621 yards and seven scores.

Williams began his Panthers career in a time share with incumbent running back DeShaun Foster, eventually overtaking the full-time starting role in his third season, though he still ceded some carries to then-rookie Jonathan Stewart. In 2008 and 2009, Williams was excellent, carrying 489 times for 2,632 yards and 25 touchdowns as he stayed healthy for the most part.

It was starting the next season that injuries began to take hold on Williams' career. He played only six games in 2010, eventually going on injured reserve after suffering a sprained foot. Still, then-Panthers GM Marty Hurney saw fit to give Williams a massive contract after the lockout ended, ponying up $43 million ($21 million guaranteed) over five years despite also having Stewart on the roster. The very next season, Hurney handed Stewart a big contract extension, helping doom the team to massive salary cap issues and a woefully thin roster for a time.

Williams and Stewart spent four seasons following Williams' big deal in a nominal timeshare, though it often seemed like they were never healthy at the same time. Williams' performance declined in each successive season, as his yards per carry average dipped from 5.4 in 2011 to 4.3 in 2012, 4.2 in 2013 and finally 3.5 in 2014, when he again played in only six games. Stewart grabbed hold of the lead ball-carrier role down the stretch of the 2014 season, teaming with Cam Newton to again form one of the most dominant rushing attacks in the league.

DeAngelo Williams is done in Carolina. (Getty Images)

Given Williams' outsized salary, it makes sense for Carolina to move on at this point. Though Williams told WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina that he's already been released, it seems likely that the Panthers will designate him a post-June 1 cut, as that would create an additional $2 million in cap space rather than costing the Panthers just over $260,000 or so in room.

As for the reason he was cut, Williams said that when he spoke to GM Dave Gettleman and coach Ron Rivera, "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'."

That explanation doesn't hold much water, as the Panthers are a very run-heavy team. Only seven teams averaged more rushes per game than Carolina in 2014, though obviously a good deal of those carries went to quarterback Cam Newton, especially in the second half of the season as he got over various injury issues. The Panthers ranked seventh and 11th in carries in 2013 and 2012, when Williams was a bit healthier than he was last season.

More likely, Carolina decided to move on from Williams because he is 31 years old (turning 32 in April), injury prone and no longer effective, and it created $2 million in extra cap space, assuming he's a post-June 1 cut. That's reason enough.