Carolina Panthers: 4 options if Tre Boston opts-out in 2020
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers Option No. 3: Sign free-agent Antoine Bethea
If the Carolina Panthers decided to bring in someone with more experience to plug the gap in the event Tre Boston opts out, then Antoine Bethea could be the man for the job. The safety might be 36-years-old now. But he still performed to a high standard for the New York Giants in 2019.
Bethea has enjoyed a prolific NFL career. And judging by his efforts last time out, it appears he still has something left in the tank. The player would provide an instant plug and play starter in Boston’s absence. And his knowledge could be a useful asset for Jeremy Chinn and Kenny Robinson to call upon during the initial stages of their development.
The former Howard Bison gave up 17 receptions from 25 balls thrown his way last season on his way to a 69.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. He boasts career stats of 9.5 sacks, nine pass deflections, 1,333 combined tackles, 993 solo tackles, 25 interceptions, and 81 pass deflections to further enhance his overall reputation.
Adding Bethea would be a low-risk, high reward pickup in this scenario. It would give the Panthers an assured presence on the backend while Chinn and Robinson adapt to the rigors of the NFL. And it allows the player to get one more chance of seeing the field before he hangs up his cleats.
This would also come with minimal financial outlay from Carolina’s perspective. Bethea has made $55.7 million during his 14-year career. So he is probably just looking for another chance at this point.