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We mentioned some Carolina transactions in the earlier item on the Saints releasing defensive end Alex Brown. But the Panthers just sent out their official list of transactions, so let’s get them all on the record for posterity.

The Panthers reached an injury settlement with quarterback Tony Pike. They also waived (injured) guard Duke Robinson and released long-snapper Chris Massey.

The Panthers also placed tight end Gary Barnidge, guard Geoff Schwartz, center Zack Williams and receiver David Gettis on the injured reserve list. That puts the roster at 80 players. The Panthers and the rest of the league have until Saturday evening to get down to 53 players.

Surprising news out of New Orleans. Defensive end Alex Brown, who has worked with the first team throughout the preseason, sent out a tweet saying he’s been released.

Consider that a sign that the Saints are pleased with the progress of first-round draft pick Cameron Jordan. Brown had been starting opposite Will Smith, who could serve a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance in 2008. Even though there is uncertainty about Smith’s situation, the Saints must feel good about Jordan and some of their other defensive ends.

Veteran Jeff Charleston has been a steady backup, and the team likes what Turk McBride has shown in the preseason. The release of Brown could also help Junior Galette’s chances of staying on the roster.

The release of Brown comes with no salary-cap implications. He was scheduled to make $3 million in base salary and had no outstanding roster bonus pro-rations. His release clears up $3 million in cap space.

Teams have to have rosters down to 80 players by the end of the day and there have been some smaller moves around the division.

The Carolina Panthers released second-year quarterback Tony Pike and offensive lineman Duke Robinson. The Panthers also placed guard Geoff Schwartz and tight end Gary Barnidge on the injured reserve list.

The Saints haven’t announced any official moves yet, but receivers John Chiles and Jarred Fayson reportedly have been released.

Earlier in the day, New Orleans safety DeAndre McDaniel tweeted that he had been released.

Stay tuned. We’ll update you with any official announcements from teams as they come. But Saturday is the main day for roster cuts. That’s when teams have to go from 80 players to 53.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 22

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- In the kindest of terms, fans and media are referring to the Carolina Panthers as a team in a youth movement.

There’s some basis for that as they opened camp with the league’s third-youngest roster after saying farewell to popular veterans such as Julius Peppers, Jake Delhomme and Brad Hoover.

In the harshest of terms, fans and media have referred to those departures as a “bloodletting’’ and are talking about the Panthers as a team without an identity, a team that’s not going to be very good.

Now, let’s turn to two guys who beg to differ.

“How do you say we’re going through a youth movement, when we beat those teams late in the season using the same key components?’’ running back DeAngelo Williams said. “People can say what they want to say. But we know what it takes to win and we have what it takes to win.’’

“The way I look at it is, I like our core guys,’’ linebacker Jon Beason said. “I think we have a great nucleus. Now we’re looking for a few good men, a few young guys who are talented. For those young guys, it’s an opportunity to come in and do great things.’’

Maybe Beason and Williams have valid points. They’re two team leaders with a pretty good feel for the pulse of the locker room. They also have impressive résumés. Williams was one of two Carolina running backs (Jonathan Stewart was the other) to run for 1,100 yards last season. Scouts, coaches and players everywhere will tell you Beason is one of the best linebackers in the NFL.

Can you really call the Panthers a team without a face?

That’s kind of a difficult statement to make when you look at Carolina’s roster and see Beason and Williams. Then, keep looking and you see Stewart, left tackle Jordan Gross, center Ryan Kalil, right tackle Jeff Otah, receiver Steve Smith and cornerbacks Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall. Those are all guys the Panthers view as core players. Look around the league and see how many teams have that many core players in place.

“There are question marks, sure,’’ coach John Fox said. “Anytime you have question marks, the expectations on the outside might not be that high. But on the inside, we know we’ve got some very good core players and those core players are going to have to have big seasons.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Can this team win with Matt Moore as the quarterback? Let’s cut to the chase. This team already has won with Moore as the quarterback. Moore started the final five games of last season after Delhomme was injured. The Panthers won four of those games and Moore looked sharp the entire time.

Sure, that’s not the longest of track records and the Panthers did draft Jimmy Clausen in the second round. But this isn’t the Carolina camp of 2001, where the Panthers were kind of expecting Jeff Lewis to fail and to hand the job to rookie Chris Weinke.

Williams’ point about the youth movement taking place last year might be right. Moore won this job with his play down the stretch and, so far in camp, the team’s confidence in him is only growing.

“Matt Moore is a gamer,’’ Williams said. “When he mentally locks in, the game comes easy for him. All quarterbacks in the league are pretty much the same. They can all throw the ball or they wouldn’t be here. The thing that separates the good ones from the bad ones is decision making. Matt Moore can make decisions. Matt’s going to be fine.’’

Let’s keep one other thing in mind. With an excellent offensive line, two very good running backs and Smith at wide receiver, Moore has a pretty strong supporting cast. He doesn’t need to be Peyton Manning or Drew Brees. He just needs to keep mistakes to a minimum and the job can be his as long as he wants.

2. Can the defensive line be any good? For much of Fox’s tenure, the defensive line has been the foundation of the team. But Peppers was the last in a line of supernovas that used to include Mike Rucker, Kris Jenkins and Brentson Buckner. There are no current stars on this defensive front.

But Fox and the Panthers don’t appear to view that as a bad thing. They’re not expecting any single guy to come in and replace Peppers. They believe they can get quality out of quantity and are hoping the defensive front can attack in waves. They’ve got high hopes for Charles Johnson and Everette Brown, and rookies Eric Norwood and Greg Hardy have been very impressive in camp. They brought back Tyler Brayton for a bit of continuity, but they feel they’ve got some pass-rushers who can emerge.

They also have a better feeling about defensive tackles Louis Leonard, Tank Tyler and Ed Johnson than a lot of people realize. This might not be the traditional Fox defensive front with a huge run-stuffer in the middle and a big name on the outside. But, keep in mind, the Panthers brought in Ron Meeks as defensive coordinator last year and his system is based more on speed than power up front.

“We were eighth in the league in defense a year ago with a new scheme,’’ Fox said. “It’s kind of early to tell, but we should be better with our scheme the second time around.’’

3. Does all this talk about Fox being in the last year of his contract really make a difference? Not at all. Fox is a creature of habit and he’s going to coach the way he always has coached.

He’s a confident guy with a pretty solid résumé. He’s not losing sleep because he knows he can get another job if it comes to that. But he wants to make it work in Carolina, a place where his family has set down roots. Keep in mind, Fox never has had a truly bad season. There have been some disappointing years, but the record’s always been close to or above .500. He’s sometimes stumbled a bit when expectations were high, but he always has done his best job when people weren’t counting on much out of the Panthers.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Greg Hardy. The defensive end was a sixth-round draft pick because his college career didn’t end all that well. But the Panthers took a shot because they thought there was uncommon physical talent sitting out there late in the draft. So far, they feel as if they might have hit a home run. Hardy has looked great in camp. Coaches are noticing him and so are other players. There were some questions about Hardy’s ability to focus on football at the pro level. But so far, so good on that end. Brayton, Johnson and Brown are competing for the starting jobs, but Hardy appears to be carving out some playing time.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Dwayne Jarrett. As they’ve been doing for his entire career, the Panthers are hoping the light suddenly comes on for this wide receiver. He’s still running with the first team, but all indications are it’s just not happening for Jarrett. There’s still some work to be done and polish to be added, but the Panthers are starting to think rookie Brandon LaFell is their best option at the starting position opposite Smith. Jarrett basically is fighting for a roster spot at this point. The fact he’s still making mental mistakes this far into his career means there’s a good chance he’s gone before the preseason is over.

OBSERVATION DECK

• As mentioned above, the Panthers are singing Moore’s praises and that’s all very legitimate. But behind the scenes, the Panthers also are thrilled with what they’ve seen from Clausen. His physical skills and mechanics are as solid as expected and Clausen’s doing everything right on and off the field. There’s not a sense of urgency to play him because Moore has looked so solid. But the Panthers believe they got a steal when they took Clausen in the second round.
• There’s been a lot of hype about third-round draft pick Armanti Edwards. Understandable because he was a college quarterback and came from Appalachian State, which automatically makes him popular in the Carolinas. The Panthers aren’t disappointed with Edwards by any means, but the reality is he’s just feeling his way as a receiver and a return man. Don’t look for him to be a huge contributor instantly. There’s big upside here because Edwards is so dynamic and he might be in a few packages early on. But it’s going to take some time for him to become a staple in this offense.
• The Panthers let go of Keydrick Vincent, who played every snap at right guard last season, for a reason. He was older and they had Duke Robinson waiting in the wings. Coaches, players and the front office believe Robinson can be a punishing run-blocker. Put him on the right side with Otah and the Panthers believe that side of the line can be just as good as the left, where Gross and Travelle Wharton are outstanding.
• If you’re looking for a long shot to make the roster, I’ll throw out Trent Guy’s name. This is a tiny wide receiver, but every time I looked up during my visit to Wofford College, Guy seemed to be making a play. He’s got rare speed and good hands, and also could be a factor in the return game.
• Thomas Davis, who had major knee surgery in June, has been hanging around at camp and working hard at his rehab. The Panthers haven’t ruled out a possible return for him later this season, but I don't see that happening for a guy who has torn his ACL twice in less than a year. The Panthers wouldn’t have moved Beason from the middle to the weak side unless they thought he’d stay there for the long haul. At the moment, they’re happy with what they’ve seen from Dan Connor in the middle and James Anderson on the strong side. That better stay that way because, aside from Jamar Williams, there’s no real depth at linebacker.
• A lot of people have questioned why the Panthers would take Beason out of the middle where he’s been such a dominant player. The answer is simple. Under Meeks, the Panthers run the “Tampa 2’’ defense. In that scheme, everything goes through the Will linebacker. Think Derrick Brooks.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Apologies that I haven’t checked in from here sooner today. But I spent Monday morning watching the Carolina Panthers practice. After that I had meetings with coach John Fox and linebacker Jon Beason for some future things I’m working on.

I’m supposed to be meeting with general manager Marty Hurney a bit later this afternoon. But I wanted to check in with some quick observations from this morning and from the regular media interviews.

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Chuck BurtonPanthers quarterback Matt Moore is taking a more active role in the offense.
• Let’s start with quarterback Matt Moore. I thought he looked good out there. He always could throw the ball, but it was interesting to see him taking a really active role, talking to Fox and assistant coaches between plays. Moore is not just a young quarterback getting coached anymore. He’s a starter, taking a very active role in the relationship and offering his input.
• Speaking of quarterbacks, I know rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen is a big name and could have a big future. He looked all right throwing the ball, but he’s working with the third team and I didn’t see anything that really stood out. The only time I really saw any flash around Clausen was when he took off on a scramble and a defensive linemen put a little hit on him. It was pretty amazing how quickly and sternly the coaching staff jumped in and reminded the defense that the quarterbacks aren’t supposed to be touched.
• One reader asked yesterday how rookie defensive end Greg Hardy is coming along. I watched him some this morning and he’s very athletic. In fact, I’d say he’s the closest thing to Julius Peppers the Panthers have right now -- purely in terms of athletic ability among the defensive ends. I also asked Fox and Beason about what they saw in Hardy and the answers were very positive. I’ll share those with you in a future post.
• The Panthers took defensive tackle Louis Leonard and guard Duke Robinson off the physically-unable-to-perform list Monday and they were on the practice field for the first time. It’s early, but both of those guys are very much in the mix to challenge for starting jobs.
• I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen out of rookie receiver Armanti Edwards on the field so far and that goes back to May minicamp. The former college quarterback is explosive and makes some big plays. But, listening to Edwards talk after practice, he sounded like we’ve yet to see his best. He admitted he still is very much in an adjustment period. “I expected it to be rough and it’s been what I expected.’’
• Speaking of wide receivers, the one guy that really has stood out so far is Trent Guy. He's an undrafted free agent and is working as a backup. But he keeps making plays and is very fast. He's got a shot at a roster spot. At worst, I think he could end up on a practice squad somewhere. Speed like that doesn't come along often.

Carolina running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, who have been dealing with injuries, are active for Thursday night’s game against Miami.

The list of inactive players for Carolina includes receiver Kenneth Moore, defensive end Charles Johnson, safety Charles Godfrey, running back Mike Goodson, fullback Brad Hoover, guard Duke Robinson and defensive end Hilee Taylor. A.J. Feeley is the third quarterback.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – DeAngelo Williams will play for Carolina today.

The Panthers just announced their inactives and Williams, who has some sort of knee injury, is not one of them.

The Panthers made Charles Godfrey, Mike Goodson, Brad Hoover, Garry Williams, Duke Robinson, Hilee Taylor and Nick Hayden inactive. A.J. Feeley is the third quarterback.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

NEW ORLEANS -- No surprises on Carolina’s list of inactives.

As expected, receiver Muhsin Muhammad, fullback Brad Hoover and Charles Godfrey are out with injuries. Also inactive are fullback Tony Fiammetta, guard Duke Robinson, tight end Dante Rosario and defensive tackle Nick Hayden. A.J. Feeley will be the third quarterback.

Kicker John Kasay, who was dealing with an injury this week, is active, so he presumably will handle his regular duties on kickoffs and field goals.

The Panthers said Dwayne Jarrett will start in Muhammad’s place and Sherrod Martin will fill in for Godfrey. The Panthers, however, have not announced a starting fullback.

We’ll find out who it is when the game starts, but I think you’re going to be surprised.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

ATLANTA – Just got the inactive lists for the Panthers and Falcons and there are a couple of items that are worthy of noting -- pretty much all on the Carolina side.

Matt Moore is listed as the backup quarterback, and newly signed A.J. Feeley is the inactive third quarterback, presumably because he hasn’t had enough time to learn the playbook. Carolina also is going to be without two injured defensive starters.

Defensive tackle Nick Hayden and safety Chris Harris are inactive. The other inactives for Carolina are: Tyrell Sutton, C.J. Wilson, Garry Williams, Duke Robinson and Hilee Taylor.

Atlanta’s inactives are: Tye Hill, Verron Haynes, Spencer Adkins, Garrett Reynolds, Quinn Ojinnaka and Trey Lewis. John Parker Wilson is the third quarterback.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

As of early Wednesday afternoon, here's the signing status for NFC South rookies. We're approaching the proverbial "wire'', so keep in mind that this could change at any time. Contract terms are based on reports by various media outlets.

ATLANTA FALCONS
Rd. 1: Peria Jerry, DT, unsigned
Rd. 2: William Moore, S, four years, terms not available
Rd. 3: Christopher Owens, CB, four years, $2.4 million
Rd. 4: Lawrence Sidbury, DE, four years, $2.2 million
Rd. 5: William Middleton, CB, signed, terms not available
Rd. 5: Garrett Reynolds, OT, four-year deal, $1.75 million
Rd. 6: Spencer Adkins, LB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 7: Vance Walker, DT, signed, terms not available

CAROLINA PANTHERS
Rd. 2: Everette Brown, DE, four-year deal, $4.3 million
Rd. 3: Sherrod Martin, DB, unsigned
Rd. 3: Corvey Irvin, DL, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 4: Mike Goodson, RB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 4: Tony Fiammetta, FB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 5: Duke Robinson, G, four-year deal, $1.92 million
Rd. 7: Captain Munnerlyn, DB, four-year deal, $1.75 million

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Rd. 1: Malcolm Jenkins, CB unsigned
Rd. 4: Chip Vaughn, S, unsigned
Rd. 4: Stanley Arnoux, LB, unsigned *
Rd. 5: Thomas Morstead, P, unsigned

* Arnoux suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and is expected to be out for the season. The Saints still are expected to sign him to a contract at some point.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Rd. 1: Josh Freeman, QB, unsigned
Rd. 3: Roy Miller, DT, four-year deal, $2.5 million
Rd. 4: Kyle Moore, DE, four-year deal, terms unavailable
Rd. 5: Xavier Fulton, OT, four-year deal, $1.75 million
Rd. 7: E.J. Biggers, CB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 7: Sammie Stroughter, WR, four-year deal, terms not available

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

A quick trip through the headlines of the NFC South.

• Charles Chandler writes the Panthers are looking for some of their young offensive linemen to step up. They need depth now that Geoff Hangartner, Frank Omiyale and Jeremy Bridges are gone. Rookie Duke Robinson and second-year pro Mackenzy Bernadeau are the top candidates.
• The Falcons waived cornerback David Irons with an injury settlement. A sixth-round pick in 2007, Irons isn't completely recovered from a knee injury suffered last season.
• Stephen F. Holder takes a look at five Bucs on the hot seat.
• Anwar Richardson has a look at five position battles for the Bucs. Appropriately, the list starts with quarterback.
• The Saints will have seating for about 3,000 as they return to their own facility for training camp for the first time since 2005. That's double the space they offered during their June minicamp. They're also adding kiosks for refreshments and souvenirs.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Time for a quick mailbag.

Ricky in Naples, Fla. writes: Almost as overrated as Jason Sehorn? Are you nuts? Mike Alstott energized an entire stadium, guaranteed a first down on 3rd and 1, and made a name for himself when very little fullbacks do so. He could catch, run, block...an asset to any team. I agree with you 100% on Seahorn, I've been saying it for years, however, I sincerely disagree with you on this one my man.

Pat Yasinskas: We can disagree -- that's part of the game. I said Alstott was a very good player. He's certainly a fan favorite here in Tampa Bay and always has been a solid citizen. But there's also a perception this guy is on a Hall of Fame level. He's not. Yes, he had some nice runs and not many fullbacks can do that (or get the chance to do that) these days. But Alstott was a fullback and fullbacks are supposed to be great blockers, first and foremost. You really think Alstott was a great blocker? I don't.

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Nate in Rock Hill, S.C. writes: Where do you think Duke Robinson will figure in on the Panther's OL this year? Do you think he'll get some substantial playing time?

Pat Yasinskas: One of the reasons the Panthers drafted Robinson was to give them some depth and flexibility on the offensive line. That used to be a strength, but the departures of Geoff Hangartner and Frank Omiyale left the depth a little thin. Carolina has an excellent starting five, but Robinson could play a big role if there are any injuries.

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Lloyd in Louisiana writes: Drew Brees should get the top nod for QB for the all NFC South team. If there is any NFC South QB who can carry a team all by himself (meaning he has little to no help - no defense) it is Brees. He has shown he can the past 2 seasons.

Pat Yasinskas: No argument here. I would have taken Brees if I were picking the NFC South's all-decade offense. He's the best quarterback in the division and has been since he joined the Saints. But readers were picking the team and they, narrowly, elected Jake Delhomme. It's a pretty safe assumption they were looking at Delhomme's longer track record in the NFC South.

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Charles in Metairie, La. writes: Since Derrick Brooks is still available and the Saints needing help at linebacker is there any way the Saints could sign him? Even though he is getting older he can still play well.

Pat Yasinskas: Charles, I've been saying for months the Saints should sign Brooks. Fans have been saying the same thing. But nothing has happened and all indications are the Saints aren't interested. If they were, I think they would have signed Brooks by now. Sad to say, but it's looking more and more like retirement for the greatest player in the history of the NFC South.

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ATLJBO in Atlanta writes: We all know about Mike Peterson but i feel like Curtis Lofton and Stephen Nicholas are going to have eye opening years. What are your thoughts on Stephen Nicholas and Curtis Lofton?

Pat Yasinskas: I'm with you on that. Lofton did a very nice job as a rookie and the Falcons plan to make him an every-down linebacker. I see him emerging as the leader of that defense and he has more upside. Nicholas is the guy I'm really excited to see this year. He had some family issues last season. The Falcons worked with him through a rough period and Stephen's son is healthy now. I look for him to have a very big year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

We gave you an update on how each team in the NFC South was progressing on signing its draft picks last week. But there have been a few new deals since then, so it's time for another update.

ATLANTA FALCONS

Rd. 1: Peria Jerry, DT, unsigned
Rd. 2: William Moore, S, four years, terms not available
Rd. 3: Christopher Owens, CB, four years, $2.4 million
Rd. 4: Lawrence Sidbury, DE, four years, $2.2 million
Rd. 5: William Middleton, CB, signed, terms not available
Rd. 5: Garrett Reynolds, OT, four-year deal, $1.75 million
Rd. 6: Spencer Adkins, LB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 7: Vance Walker, DT, signed, terms not available

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Rd. 2: Everette Brown, DE, four-year deal, $4.3 million
Rd. 3: Sherrod Martin, DB, unsigned
Rd. 3: Corvey Irvin, DL, unsigned
Rd. 4: Mike Goodson, RB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 4: Tony Fiammetta, FB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 5: Duke Robinson, G, four-year deal, $1.92 million
Rd. 7: Captain Munnerlyn, DB, four-year deal, $1.75 million

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Rd. 1: Malcolm Jenkins, CB unsigned
Rd. 4: Chip Vaughn, S, unsigned
Rd. 4: Stanley Arnoux, LB, unsigned
Rd. 5: Thomas Morstead, P, unsigned

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Rd. 1: Josh Freeman, QB, unsigned
Rd. 3: Roy Miller, DT, four-year deal, $2.5 million
Rd. 4: Kyle Moore, DE, four-year deal, terms unavailable
Rd. 5: Xavier Fulton, OT, four-year deal, $1.75 million
Rd. 7: E.J. Biggers, CB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 7: Sammie Stroughter, WR, four-year deal, terms not available

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

We continue our rookie status updates with the Carolina Panthers. They've signed their later picks, but still haven't come to terms with their top three picks.

Rd. 2: Everette Brown, DE, unsigned
Rd. 3: Sherrod Martin, DB, unsigned
Rd. 3: Corvey Irvin, DL, unsigned
Rd. 4: Mike Goodson, RB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 4: Tony Fiammetta, FB, four-year deal, terms not available
Rd. 5: Duke Robinson, G, four-year deal, $1.92 million
Rd. 7: Captain Munnerlyn, DB, four-year deal, $1.75 million

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Who's going to be rookie of the year in the NFC South?

Well, we'll find out for sure next season, but I know a lot of us don't want to wait that long for an entire season to play out.

So why wait? The folks at WhatIfSports.com have played out the 2009 season already -- 10,000 times.

It's pretty interesting stuff, but the bad news is they don't see any NFC South rookie being dominant. The top-rated NFC South rookie is New Orleans cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and he comes in at No. 34 (San Francisco's Michael Crabtree is No. 1).

Other NFC South rookies in the top 100 include Carolina's Everette Brown (No. 38), Atlanta's Lawrence Sidbury (No. 42), Carolina's Sherrod Martin (No. 48), Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman (No. 72), Carolina's Duke Robinson (No. 76), Atlanta's Chris Owens (No. 85) and Atlanta safety William Moore (No. 100).

Thanks to reader Dale from Georgia for passing this along.