Panthers defense: 4 players under pressure to perform in 2020
By Dean Jones
Tre Boston
While a lot of the Carolina Panthers defense moved on to pastures new during free agency, the team did manage to work out an extension with safety Tre Boston.
The player signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Panthers that included an $8 million signing bonus and $8 million guaranteed. This ties him to the organization until 2022 and elevates Boston to one of the primary leaders on defense.
Boston will be tasked with steering a young secondary in the right direction that includes second-rounder Jeremy Chinn and fifth-round pick Kenny Robinson. This will be a stiff ask in the pass-happy world of the NFL and this brings its own additional pressure on the North Carolina product to produce the goods.
The Panthers’ defense will also be relying on Boston to make further strides with a more prominent role. Boston saw 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps last season and showed encouraging signs despite their eventual 5-11 record.
Boston is a high-character individual who could end up being good value for money regarding his recent extension. However, the Panthers’ defense is going to go through its fair share of struggles next season and if the player does not make the sort of contribution the team anticipates. It is going to have a further detrimental effect on their chances to surprise during the first year of a rebuild.