“Tre was a tremendous leader this year,” Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said last week. “He was someone I thought was integral in helping play with a lot of young players and teaching them what it meant to be a pro. I think this year and this offseason, there’s a lot of tough decisions that have to be made, and unfortunately, that was one of them.”

Without Boston, the Panthers are left with Juston Burris and youngsters Sam Franklin and Myles Hartsfield at safety.

Boston had started every game the last two seasons, in his second stint with the team. Originally a fourth-round pick out of North Carolina, he played his first three seasons here, before spending a year each with the Cardinals and Chargers.