Dan Morgan is not in the business of factoring sentiment into his decision-making process. That's not in his mentality as he looks to get the Carolina Panthers back into legitimate contention.
No matter the circumstances attached, the general manager will always do what he feels is best for the Panthers. And with Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the not-too-distant horizon, time is of the essence to find the right formula.
Morgan is renowned for churning out the bottom end of his roster. Most don't amount to anything, but a select few exceed expectations and carve out roles for themselves. And all it takes is an injury or disappointing practice for the front-office leader to wield the axe.
Carolina Panthers make another change at the wide receiver position in camp
That proved to be the case before Tuesday's practice. The Panthers announced that special-teams ace Dan Chisena has been released with an injury settlement after he was placed on the physically unable to perform list to begin camp. The nature of the issue wasn't disclosed, but it was serious enough for Morgan to go in a different direction.
Chisena came into the summer with some intrigue attached to his growth. He arrived late last season, catching his first three NFL passes and also making his presence felt on special teams when opportunities came his way. Nothing was guaranteed, but some shrewd analysts were expecting him to make a strong push for the 53-man roster this time around.
Unfortunately, the football gods had other ideas. Chisena's slight momentum came screeching to an abrupt halt, and the Pantjhers were forced to find an alternative. After several wideouts tried out with the team on Monday, those in power gave rookie Ja'seem Reed a chance to shine.
Reed participated in the Cleveland Browns camp earlier this summer but didn't do enough to stick around. Even so, he does have some decent college production at San Diego, accumulating 77 receptions for 1,052 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024.
This wasn't enough to hear his name called during the draft, and the chances of him surging into roster consideration in Carolina are remote. But Morgan felt like a change (and another body) was needed. Whether it amounts to anything more is another matter.
And if it doesn't work out, Morgan will keep swinging. Make no mistake about that.