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At the scouting combine last week, Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman left the strong impression that running back DeAngelo Williams had played his last snap as a member of the team.

On Monday, Williams confirmed that Gettleman’s message was received correctly. Williams told WBTV that Gettleman told him last week that the Panthers will be releasing him as they move toward the start of the new league year.

“We sat down and he told me ‘The fact of the matter is we’re going to have to release you‘,” Williams said. “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’.”

Williams played in just six games during the regular season because of injuries, although he was able to return for the team’s playoff outings. He said he’s not “bitter” about the move, citing Steve Smith’s departure from Carolina last year as a sign that such decisions are part of life in the football business. Williams had 1,432 carries for 6,846 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns since joining the Panthers as a first-round pick in 2006.

Designating Williams as a post-June 1 cut will save the Panthers about $2 million on this year’s cap. They have Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert under contract for next season.