The locker stall was cleared out and the nameplate already gone.
There were no signs that wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin had occupied that space less than 24 hours earlier – except in the sullen tone with which Panthers quarterback Cam Newton spoke Wednesday.
Newton talked about moving on from the shocking trade that sent the team’s No. 1 wideout to Buffalo for a pair of draft picks just before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
But Newton and Benjamin had a bond that went beyond spirals and slant routes, and Newton conceded he took Tuesday’s news hard.
He also said he heard the news when everyone else did.