Panthers News: Bryce Young, Matt Corral, Ikem Ekwonu and Marquan McCall

Carolina Panthers explain Marquan McCall decision

Things looked pretty positive for Marquan McCall earlier this off-season. Many had the former Kentucky college star slated to start at the nose tackle position within Ejiro Evero's 3-4 base defensive system, but the Carolina Panthers dropped a mini-bombshell on Monday by announcing his release to make way for cornerback Troy Hill.

This came as a shock to many and leaves the Panthers short of a genuine nose unless they are fully confident in someone like Taylor Stallworth or Raequan Williams. When outlining his decision, head coach Frank Reich stated via Sports Illustrated that it came down to scheme fit more than anything else.

"These are always tough decisions. We appreciate his contribution. Honestly, we're doing it now because we think he's going to be on a roster somewhere it just comes down to two things. It comes down to a fit for us and what we're trying to do and then we've had a couple guys at that position who have really looked good. I think for us in our scheme, there's more nuances to it than the traditional thing, so I'll just leave it at that."

- Frank Reich via Sports Illustrated

Reich feels like McCall will find his way onto another NFL team quickly. However, what's occurred this offseason coupled with a complete 180 from those in power regarding the lineman's status indicates something hasn't been disclosed.

That's something for fans to debate and will remain in-house, one suspects. It'll be interesting to see what comes next for McCall and the Panthers, who now have gargantuan shoes to fill on their defensive front.