NFL Notebook: Panthers cut 22

Associated Press

The NFL notebook ...

CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers entered training camp with the NFL’s third-youngest roster. Then in final cuts they kept most of the youngsters.

The Panthers trimmed 22 players to get to the 53-man limit on Saturday, but found room to keep nine of 10 draft picks. They waived veteran defensive tackle Tank Tyler in favor of undrafted rookie Andre Neblett, and sent Kenny Moore packing in favor of three rookie receivers, including David Gettis.

Even second-year quarterback Hunter Cantwell was waived, giving the third-string job to rookie Tony Pike.

“The players we kept didn’t have anything to do with money,” Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. “They had to do with who we felt was going to help our football team the most.”

Carolina kept just five defensive tackles. Corvey Irvin, a third-round pick in 2009 who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, was also waived.

At QB, the Panthers felt the sixth-round pick Pike had more potential than Cantwell, who spent most of last season on the practice squad. Pike will be behind starter Matt Moore and rookie Jimmy Clausen.

“Tony showed the other night a lot of the things we saw in college,” Hurney said. “He’s got excellent feet, great feel for pressure, great ability to escape things from the pocket. He has the ability to make things happen.”

Hurney said he “didn’t know at this point” if starting right tackle Jeff Otah (knee) will play Week 1 at the New York Giants after the preseason.

But the Panthers needed room to keep six receivers, including special-teamer Charly Martin, rookies Brandon LaFell, Armanti Edwards and Gettis. The Panthers also kept a spot for kickoff specialist Todd Carter.

Also let go were receiver Trent Guy, defensive end Eric Moore, guards Andrew Crummey and Ray Hisatake, linebackers Quinton Culberson, Mortty Ivy and Sean Ware, fullback Rashawn Jackson, running backs Josh Vaughan and Dantrell Savage and tight end Jamie Petrowski.

BRONCOS

DENVER — The Denver Broncos have acquired tight end Dan Gronkowski from the Detroit Lions for cornerback Alphonso Smith in a swap of second-year players.

Smith had a bad rookie season last year after the Broncos traded a 2010 first-round pick to Seattle to move up and select him out of Wake Forest in the second round.

n Elvis Dumervil, the NFL’s leading top sacker, says he won’t play at all this season.

The Denver Broncos’ pass rusher underwent surgery last month to repair a torn chest muscle, but the team had been holding out hope he’d make a quicker than anticipated recovery.