Predicting the Panthers 2016 Starters & Backups

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Dec 28, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Carolina Panthers free safety Tre Boston (33) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

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Starter: Tre Boston

Three years into his NFL career, Tre Boston is finally slotted in as a starting safety for the Panthers. In two seasons in a backup role, Boston has proved to be a valuable contributor and with the departure of Roman Harper, he’ll slide in at free safety as the starter. He likely won’t have much competition for the job barring an unforeseen regression but it’ll be interesting to see how he fares as a full time starter.

Backup: Dean Marlowe

After going undrafted and impressing during last year’s offseason, Dean Marlowe was kept on the 53-man roster during 2015. Now with more available spots in the secondary he could be in line to see regular season snaps as a backup. Marlowe’s abilities are as a hard hitter so he’ll need to improve his range in coverage. But as a backup capable of stepping into a special teams role, he should prove productive.

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