5 Carolina Panthers players on the hot seat this offseason
By Dean Jones
Juston Burris – Carolina Panthers S
Juston Burris signed a two-year, $8 million deal with a $2.1 million signing bonus and a further $2.1 million guaranteed last year following an encouraging 2019 campaign with the Cleveland Browns. Although there have been some nice moments, the safety may be nervously looking over his shoulder until a final decision has been made surrounding his future.
Burris’ highlights were almost dwarfed by inconsistencies that cost the Carolina Panthers on the backend. He was sluggish in coverage for the most part and his task wasn’t exactly aided by Tre Boston’s regression until a strong end to the season.
The former North Carolina State standout’s indifferent performances are further reflected in his 55.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, leaving the veteran’s future up in the air to a certain extent. This bears more significance if Phil Snow gets his wish and moves stud rookie Jeremy Chinn back to his more accustomed position, and there is also the money aspect to consider where Burris is concerned.
His $4.94 million salary-cap figure in 2021 equates to a saving of around $3.9 million if he is moved on ahead of time. This is money that the Panthers might be better off spending elsewhere and it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world to see Burris on the free-agent scrapheap when it’s all said and done.