NFL Free Agency Rumors: Carolina Panthers releasing safety Tre Boston
The Carolina Panthers are cutting ties with Tre Boston to get an early start on the NFL offseason.
Carolina on Friday informed the 28-year-old safety he is being released, multiple outlets reported. Boston was just one year into his three-year contract with the team.
Boston started every game this past season for the Panthers, notching one interception and 93 tackles. But he apparently didn't fit in to the organization's plans for a younger defensive unit.
It's been a whirlwhind NFL career so far for Boston.
The Panthers drafted Boston, who played college football at North Carolina, in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played for the Panthers until 2017, when Carolina waived him.
Boston signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, and he played for the team for one season. He then signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals and spent a season with them.
The Panthers reacquired Boston in 2019 by signing him to a one-year contract. After it expired, he and Carolina agreed on the three-year, $18 million extension.
Panthers also release Palardy, Weatherly
Boston wasn't the only Panther the team cut on Friday.
The team also announced that punter Michael Palardy and defensive end Stephen Weatherly have been released.
Palardy missed this past season due to a knee injury. In his stead, undrafted rookie Joseph Charlton from South Carolina punted for the Panthers.
Carolina signed Weatherly as a free agent, and he initally started for the Panthers before he suffered a a finger injury. Rookie Yetur Gross-Matos from Penn State added depth to the team's defense, which allowed the Panthers to save cap space by releasing Weatherly.
It's been a big week of saving cap space for Carolina. The team also released Kawann Short on Tuesday. The releases of Short, Palardy and Weatherly saved Carolina $16.4 million in cap space, according to a team article posted Friday.
"In a year with a declining cap, every dollar is going to count," the article states, "so having young players fill roles instead of veterans benefits the bottom line."
ESPN reported Friday that the Panthers' four recent releases saved the team a total of $19.9 million in cap space.
Carolina has $28.473 million in cap space, according to ESPN, which reported the Panthers' recent roster moves have more than double the amount of cap space the team had at the end of the season.
With this newfound cap space, Carolina will aim to make some extensive changes this offseason.