"It's hard to imagine… the Carolina Panthers without John Kasay.

But on Thursday that's exactly what'll happen.

Sometime after the clock strikes 4 p.m., the Panthers will officially announce they've released the only player left from the original 1995 expansion team and one of the classiest men ever to step foot in Bank of America Stadium.

Think about it. John Kasay no longer a Panther. Doesn't seem real, does it?

The team agreed to terms on a four-year, $12 million contract with 38-year-old free agent Olindo Mare from the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday paving the way for Kasay's release two seasons before his contract was set to expire.

General manager Marty Hurney said the decision to part ways with Kasay will be a hard one.

"This is the part of the job that's not very fun," Hurney said.

So why are the Panthers unexpectedly releasing Kasay, the league's eighth all-time leading scorer after he converted 25 of 29 field goals last season?

It came down to kickoffs mostly.

Hurney made it clear the Panthers don't want to keep an extra roster spot open for a kickoff specialist like Rhys Lloyd, and the Panthers plan to go into the season with Mare and punter Jason Baker as the two kickers on the roster.

Kasay hasn't kicked off on a consistent basis since 2007.

Mare, although just three years younger than the 41-year-old Kasay, still has a strong leg and was fourth in the NFC in touchbacks last season with 20, three behind Philadelphia's David Akers and Atlanta's Michael Koenen.

"In March, with the change in the kickoff rules and moving it up five yards (to the 35-yard-line), I think we all agree that you can take a lot of pressure off of your kickoff teams if you have a guy who can kick it out of the end zone," Hurney said. "If you have someone who can kick it out of the end zone and still be an efficient field goal kicker, that's the goal. I think we felt like there was an opportunity to get one of those guys."