Paul Soliai cut by Carolina Panthers

Just a year into Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Paul Soliai’s two-year, $7-million contract, his agent David Cantor tweeted that the team planned to release him.

The announcement came early Tuesday afternoon. After announcing that they had released fullback Mike Tolbert, the Panthers confirmed the release of Soliai.

The release of Soliai will free up approximately $2.2 million in salary cap space. In 2016, Soliai played in 10 games and started one, and recorded four tackles. The money will likely assist Carolina in securing a deal with defensive lineman Kawann Short, who is a top priority of the team in free agency.

This story was originally published February 21, 2017 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Paul Soliai cut by Carolina Panthers."