I was doing a little digging on the Internet a few minutes ago to see how some former Arkansas players were doing in the NFL and if they had a chance of making the cut.

  Well, it appears that tight end Andrew Davie and Marcus Monk – who both play for the Carolina Panthers – could be looking for new teams after today.

  Here is an excerpt from a story recently published in The Charlotte Observer: 

  “The Panthers will cut five players – from 80 on the roster to 75 – Tuesday.

  Those five will likely come from this list: Defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams, guard C.J. Davis, tight end Andrew Davie, offensive tackle Gerald Cadogan, center Keith Gray, receiverMarcus Monk and receiver Larry Beavers.”

  If it ends up working out that way, maybe Davie and Monk will get opportunities with other teams. Monk has already been cut by the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, so it might be a tough blow for him to get cut by a third team in a year or so.

  Davie was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets, then traded to Carolina. Maybe another team will be in the need for a blocking tight end and give him a chance to play pro ball. 

  I’ll try to post any updates on the blog and Twitter (@NWAAlex).

  I missed this while I was in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the Fourth of July weekend. 

  Turns out, former Arkansas tight end Andrew Davie is on the move, this time to the Carolinas.

  The Carolina Panthers have claimed Davie off waivers from the New York Jets. Davie signed with the Jets in late April as an undrafted free agent, and though he seemed like a good fit in the Big Apple because the Jets need help at tight end, his stint there was short.

  By getting picked up by the Panthers, Davie will try to earn a roster spot alongside former Arkansas wide receiver Marcus Monk. Monk signed a free agent deal with Carolina after the  draft, and so far the word coming out of Carolina is that he’s looked good in practice.

  This reminds me of the old James Taylor song “Carolina In My Mind.” For whatever reason, this song came to mind while I was lying on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale. Now, Carolina is on the minds of both Davie and Monk.

 A year ago, Arkansas took a major hit when running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones decided to skip their senior seasons to enter the NFL Draft. This year doesn’t appear to be as bad, though.

  Defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard, who had a breakout junior season, is leaning toward returning to Arkansas for his senior season.

  Ricky Sheppard said Wednesday that his son has filled out paperwork to receive feedback from an NFL advisory committee about his draft prospects. But Sheppard’s father said he believes his son will return to Arkansas for his final season.

  ”You put your name out there and see what people think about it. Who knows? It will be Malcolm’s decision,” Ricky Sheppard said. “… It’s probably a little too early, but all systems seem to be pointing to (him) being a Razorback next year.”

  Meanwhile, tight end Andrew Davie has decided to leave early to enter the NFL Draft. And while his departure will be a loss for the Razorbacks when it comes to blocking and goal-line situations, it shouldn’t affect the team nearly as much as when McFadden and Jones left.

  You can read more about Sheppard likely returning for his senior season in Thursday’s edition of The Morning News. Here is the link.