Morgan, 29, played his entire seven-year career with the Carolina Panthers.

He missed the final 13 games of 2007 with a partial tear of an Achilles tendon, and had battled through other injuries -- including five concussions -- during recent seasons.

"When we signed Dan, he was committed to making a fresh start, and he was making every effort to rehabilitate the leg injury that he suffered last year," coach Sean Payton said in a statement.

"But it wasn't responding as well as he had hoped it would. We wish him well in his continued recovery, and he will be remembered for the excellent player he was during his career."

Morgan was picked by Carolina in the first round of the 2001 draft out of the University of Miami. He had a career total of 452 tackles, started 59 games and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2004. -- Stan Olson

• The Panthers announced the signing of Lester Ricard, a free agent quarterback who spent the 2007 season on Jacksonville's practice squad after going undrafted.

He started out at Louisiana State, then transferred to Tulane. Ricard, 24, was a three-year starter for the Green Wave. At 6-foot-4, 228 pounds, he totaled 6,668 passing yards, 55 touchdowns and 31 interceptions in his college career. -- Charles Chandler

Elsewhere

CINCINNATI: Less than a month after the NFL reinstated Odell Thurman from his two-year suspension, the linebacker was waived. Thurman, a second-round pick from Georgia in 2005, was suspended for the first four games of the 2006 season after failing to show up for a drug test.

Commissioner Roger Goodell extended the suspension to a full season when Thurman was arrested for drunken driving.

DENVER: The Broncos' quarterback camp opened with receiver Brandon Marshall running routes but catching no passes and running back Travis Henry out for the first week with a pulled hamstring.

The Broncos feared Marshall would miss the start of training camp in July after cutting an artery, a vein, a nerve, two tendons and three muscles in his right arm during an accident in March at a resort in Orlando, Fla.

Henry is expected back next Tuesday.

HOUSTON: Receiver Andre Johnson recently had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee that will keep him from practicing until training camp in July.

MIAMI: Offensive lineman Steve McKinney, coming back from a knee injury that forced him to miss most of the 2007 season, signed with the Dolphins.

MINNESOTA: Vikings great Carl Eller appeared in court on charges stemming from an alleged scuffle with police last month. Eller agreed to appear at a pretrial hearing July 29, and a trial date was set for Nov. 4. He hasn't entered a plea.

OWNERS' MEETING: The league's owners meet today and could vote to opt out of the labor contract. Such a move could signal a protracted period of labor tension and lead to a 2010 season without a salary cap and a potential work stoppage the following year. The owners have until Nov. 8 to terminate the contract. -- Observer News Services"

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