Despite having more cap space than last year’s offseason, the Carolina Panthers will have some tough roster decisions to make. Most talked about thus far is whether or not to keep long-time Panthers running back, DeAngelo Williams.

Williams is coming off of a rough season, having dealt with the passing of his mother as well as a broken bone in his hand. As a result, he had (by far) the worst statistical season of his career. He finished the 2014 campaign with 219 yards, no touchdowns, and a mere 3.5 yards per rush in just six games – all career lows.

Sep 7, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams (34) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

To make matters worse, Williams is eating up a significant amount of the salary cap after he signed a $43 million dollar contract in 2010. The upcoming season will be the fifth and final year of that contract and will account for over $6 million of the Panther’s salary cap.

These poor numbers coupled with the high price tag have prompted many in the Carolinas to question whether Williams should even be around for next season. General manager, David Gettleman, has yet to comment one way or another, so it’ll be up to us to speculate for now.

When making roster decisions, there typically three categories of reasons to keep or get rid of a player: business-related reasons, football-related reasons, and community-related reasons.

The Business

Is anyone really surprised to hear that, like most things in life, roster decisions primarily come down to money? Such is the case here and DeAngelo Williams will be accounting for quite a bit of it – $6.3 million, according to Overthecap.com.

Williams’ contract is worth the 20th most amount of money out of 174 running back contracts. Since 2010 (when he signed his current contract), Williams has yet to have a 1,000 yard season.

Simply put, Williams is not worth that amount of money anymore. So, it should be an easy decision, right? Not so fast.

If the Panthers were to cut Williams, it would actually cost them $6.6 million toward the cap. The case would be the same if they were to trade him.

So what this really means is that the Panthers organization would have to decide if an extra spot on the roster as opposed to a viable running back is worth an additional $266,667 towards the cap.

Personally, I find that a little difficult to believe.

While there is more financial freedom this offseason compared to last year, every dollar could be needed to upgrade the current roster.

The Football

Even though Williams had a bad season, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a bad football player. After all, he had to play behind an absolutely awful offensive line this season.

Many consider running backs to be old news once they hit age 30, yet just a season ago (when he was 30) Williams totaled 1,176 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.

In fact, Williams has accounted for at least 800 yards from scrimmage in every season in which he played more than six games.

Sure, it was a rough season, but the injuries and personal matters coupled with his previous performances would suggest that the 2014 campaign was more of an anomaly than anything else.

If Williams is still on the roster for next season, we can certainly expect more than 219 yards and zero touchdowns.

The Community

Last offseason, Gettleman and co. decided it was in the team’s best interest to part ways with fan-favorite, Steve Smith. That decision was, uh, not received well by the Panther faithful, to say the least.

Cutting DeAngelo Williams would almost certainly create an equal amount of uproar.

Since being drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 2006 NFL Draft, Williams has been an electrifying member of the team. His quick pace and shifty moves have captivated fans and given them something to cheer about during times when wins were hard to come by.

As great as Williams has been on the field, he’s an ever better person off of it. A constant presence in the community, Williams has always been engaging with the fans and repeatedly goes out of his way to show his appreciation.

Parting ways with Steve Smith was messy enough as it is. If Williams’ name is added to that list, it would run the risk of driving a serious stake between team and community.

The Verdict

In a league that is becoming increasingly dominated by the “running back by committee” approach, Williams needs to remain a Panther.

Let’s not forget, Smash & Dash (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) was a nearly unstoppable duo only a few seasons ago. Injuries have slowed them down recently, but the two are poised to bounce back in a big way for the Carolina Panthers in 2015…assuming that Williams is still in town.