Cut day has come and went for USFL teams, and the Michigan Panthers are one step closer to finalizing their 2023 opening roster. The Panthers announced the release of Five Players one of which was former 1st round pick Robert Nkemdiche. Another notable cut by the Panthers was Eddie Graham a Defensive Back who was with Michigan in 2022, all other players released were signed during the 2022-23 USFL Offseason.

LaDarren Brown, Ka’John Armstrong, and Treshaun Hayward, were among the others released this past weekend. Brown was a running back who many thought would be guaranteed a roster spot due to Josh Adams joining the Vanderbilt coaching staff. Hayward was a late signing to the Panthers during training camp, and was seemingly in an up hill battle to make the squad with the Panthers deep linebacker corps.

Another surprising cut was former EMU alum Ka’John Armstrong. Armstrong has been with four NFL teams, the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL, and joined the Panthers in August of 2022. With the Panthers now back in Michigan, the release of the EMU offensive lineman, may come at a shock for fans in the local market especially, with the Panthers issues at Offensive Line in 2022.

With 49 Players on the current roster, the Panthers still have two players on the inactive roster (Jalin Burrell and Leon Jacobs). With only two running backs on the active roster, a Running Back seems like the ideal candidate to add to the roster. With the Panthers set to take on the Houston Gamblers in Week One, in Memphis it appears that Michigan is not done re-tooling their roster for 2023.