There is room for improvement in the Green Bay Packers’ secondary. Drafting Eric Stokes was one of the first steps toward improving that unit, but bringing in safety Tre Boston would be a great way to round out an already solid defense.
You may be familiar with Boston. He played his college football at UNC and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He’s been a consistent player in the NFL for a while, posting an average of 61 tackles per season. He has spent most of his career in Carolina but took a two-year detour to the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals before playing the last two seasons back with the Panthers before becoming a cap casualty this offseason.
Boston has always been a staple of whatever defense he was on. He was never super flashy nor considered a star, but he’s been a fan favorite wherever he went.
He has been incredibly underrated throughout his tenure in the NFL. In seven seasons, he has posted 42 passes defended, 15 interceptions, and 313 solo tackles. To put those numbers into perspective, Eric Weddle recorded 16 interceptions in his first seven seasons. Obviously, there is a huge difference in how people look at Boston and Weddle, but their interception totals illustrate how talented Boston is and how much gas he could have left in the tank. At 29, he’s still capable of being a really solid NFL safety.
Given that Boston is still available this late in the offseason, he probably would be willing to sign a team-friendly contract, a necessity for the Packers. It’s a rare opportunity to get a player of this caliber at a reasonable price, something every team is clamoring for.
You may be asking yourself, why would the Packers need another safety with Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage on the roster? That’s a fair point. However, once you look past Amos and Savage, there isn’t much depth. Boston also wouldn’t be a backup; he would push the duo for a starting position. Bringing in competition should be normalized for positions other than quarterback. Putting Boston on the roster may bring out the best in the rest of the secondary.
Boston also would be an outstanding personality in the locker room. Whether it’s his upbeat demeanor or flowing locks, he always puts his teammates in a good mood. He is known to rap, dance, and make everyone happy in the locker room.
“When you go to work – wherever that is – sometimes you might not be feeling too good,” said former teammate and current New York Giants corner James Bradberry. “But Tre is going to bring your spirits up no matter what. The confidence he brings and the humor that he brings – that’s really good for the locker room.”
This type of enthusiasm is something the Packers need.
Boston is not only an amazing teammate but an amazing man as well. Players as talented and affable as him are rare, which should endear him to the Packers staff.
If that doesn’t prove that Boston is a great person, I don’t know what will.
The secondary should be a priority after their meltdown in the NFC Championship. Adding Boston could help prevent breakdowns like that from happening again.
The Packers need to address the secondary in huge ways this offseason. Drafting Eric Stokes was the first step, and adding a veteran would be key to developing the young defense.
