There’s increased talk coming out of the Carolinas that the Panthers could part ways with running back DeShaun Foster during the off-season, and perhaps sooner rather than later.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the Panthers would save about $4.75 million on their 2008 salary cap if they cut Foster, who is heading into the final season on his contract. And the Winston-Salem Journal reports that the Panthers could try to trade Foster and then cut him if they can’t find any takers.

Foster was the Panthers’ leading rusher in 2007, with 247 carries for 876 yards. But he wasn’t their most effective rusher, as DeAngelo Williams averaged a full yard and a half more per carry than Foster, finishing the season with 144 carries for 717 yards.

Considering that Williams is 24 and Foster is 28, the Panthers must see Williams as playing a bigger role in the franchise’s future than Foster. And that means Foster is likely on the way out.