CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have informed safety Tre Boston, punter Michael Palardy and defensive end Stephen Weatherly that they will be released, per league sources with knowledge of the situation. The team is moving on from the veteran players as it continues to create more salary cap room for the 2021 season.
After releasing defensive tackle Kawann Short on Tuesday, the team has saved about a combined $20 million in cap space by the roster moves made this week. The salary cap minimum is $180 million, with a set amount not yet firmly established. The Panthers currently have around $31 million in available space.
How will that money be used? The additional cap room will help the Panthers in free agency, including as the team works to re-sign right tackle Taylor Moton, who may end up being franchise tagged for about $13.6 million, per Spotrac, to a long-term deal. Four of the five starting offensive linemen from last year are slated to become free agents. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel is expected to test the market, but could re-sign in Carolina for the right price.
The funds could also help the Panthers’ pursuit of Houston Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson, if the team grants his trade request. Carolina owner David Tepper is interested in acquiring the quarterback, per league sources, but the Texans have yet to begin trade conversations. Watson would account for $15.9 million in cap space in 2021 and that number jumps to $40.4 million in 2022. The Panthers currently have over $130 million in cap space in 2022 with an additional $21 million if Teddy Bridgewater is no longer on the roster.
Boston had two years remaining on a three-year, $18 million deal he signed last year. He will remain on the roster until after the start of the new league year, which begins March 17. The team will designate the safety as a post-June 1 release, lessening the salary cap implications.
The Panthers will have $2.6 million in dead cap each of the next two years and will save about $3.5 million this season and around $5 million next season with Boston’s release. Dead cap refers to the total money a team has already paid or has committed to paying to players no longer on the roster, but had not yet been charged against the salary cap.
Palardy and Weatherly will not be post-June 1 designations. Each had one year left on their deals. The team will save $1.9 million in moving on from Palardy and $5.9 million in releasing Weatherly.
Boston, 28, has spent the majority of his career with the Panthers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft out of North Carolina. He was with the team from 2014-16 and then returned in 2019-20 and spent the seasons in between with the Chargers and Arizona Cardinals. One of the young defense’s veteran leaders, Boston had 95 tackles in 2020, a career-high.
His release will open up an opportunity for hybrid defender Jeremy Chinn to potentially move into more of a safety role, which he played in college at Southern Illinois.
Palardy spent all of 2020 on injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL on his kicking leg while practicing prior to the season. He has been with the Panthers since midway through the 2016 season when he filled in for an injured Andy Lee.
During the 2018 season, Palardy received a three-year, $7.52 million extension from Carolina. He is the team’s all-time leader in net punt average (40.3) with a minimum of 10 games played and set a franchise record for highest net punting average (42.4) in a single season in 2017. Joe Charlton is the only punter on the roster. He performed well in his rookie year out of South Carolina, averaging 40.8 net yards per punt (13th).
Weatherly was one of the least successful free-agent signings the Panthers made in 2020. Signed to a two-year, $12.5 million deal, the defensive end played in just nine games and had 17 tackles and zero sacks. His season ended early after having finger surgery.
Second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos, who saw limited playing time due to a variety of injuries, will get more of an opportunity with Weatherly’s release, although defensive line is among the positions the team could look to address this offseason.
