CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The decision by the Carolina Panthers to release former starting safety Tre Boston shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.

Carolina signed 36-year-old veteran strong safety Mike Adams in free agency, allowing Kurt Coleman to move back to free safety where he led the team in interceptions in 2015.

That meant Boston, who started 10 games last season at free safety, would move to a backup role. That Boston’s 2017 salary cap hit more than doubled to $1,898,367 because of a performance escalator clause in the CBA also didn’t help his cause.

The Panthers were able to clear $1,797,000 in cap space by releasing him.

Carolina also was crowded at safety with Colin Jones, Dean Marlowe, L.J. McCray, Dezmen Southward, Brian Blechen and Travell Dixon in addition to Adams and Coleman.

Marlowe in particular is a player the Panthers have been high on when healthy, which wasn’t the case most of last season.

Boston started 16 games and played in 42 after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of North Carolina.

But he made too many mental errors, often was out of position in critical moments and wasn’t as physical against the run as the Panthers would like, costing him the starting job last season.

The handwriting on this has been on the wall since Adams was signed to a two-year deal with a cap value of $1,775,000 in 2017. Coleman already was at $3,625,000 and Jones at $1,225,000.

Carolina’s other moves, the release of fullback Devon Johnson, cornerback Lou Young, and tackles Jordan Rigsbee and Jake Rodgers, also weren't big surprises.

Alex Armah was drafted in the sixth round Saturday with the hope he can fill the fullback spot. The Panthers also added depth at tackle in the draft with second-round pick Taylor Moton and at cornerback with fifth-round pick Corn Elder.

The Panthers will get their first real look at the new players during a two-day minicamp Friday and Saturday.