Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer has had an impressive first offseason. He got high marks for both his work in free agency and during the 2021 NFL draft, and rightfully so. However, no executive is perfect and he has made a couple of questionable moves, as well.
The biggest to follow in the coming years will be whether or not it was the right call to pass on Justin Fields in the draft – regardless of how well Jaycee Horn plays corner. On a far smaller scale, Fitterer’s decision to cut free safety Tre Boston a couple months ago was also iffy.
That move becomes official today (June 1), which will save the team roughly $3.5 million in salary cap space for 2021.
While it’s nice to get that extra chunk of change, the price of forfeiting the best (and only) true free safety on the roster just wasn’t worth it.
Even with a gaping hole at this critical position, it’s gone pretty much entirely unaddressed this offseason until very recently. After ignoring a deep market of veterans, the Panthers completely passed on what was considered a strong class of safeties in the draft, leading to questions about who will replace Boston in the starting lineup.
At the moment, our best wild guess is that it will be Lano Hill, who signed a couple weeks ago after playing the first few years of his career in Seattle. The Seahawks picked him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft but he never saw much playing time. Hill started just six of 42 games and saw his snap count shrink every year. Worse, injuries have cost him 18 games over the last two seasons. Hill should be considered unproven as far as potentially taking over Boston’s former role.
Other options on the roster include Juston Burris and Jeremy Chinn, neither of whom are particularly well-suited to play the centerfield spot in what’s been a heavy cover 3 scheme from defensive coordinator Phil Snow so far.
For what it’s worth, Earl Thomas is still out there.
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