Receiver Anquan Boldin remains a free agent with just over a month before training camps are set to open across the NFL.
After catching 67 passes for 584 yards and eight touchdowns last year for the Detroit Lions, the 36-year old Boldin remains unemployed. But Boldin isn’t fretting about not being on an NFL roster in June. He’s willing to bide his time until training camp approaches before signing with a new team.
“I look at the offseason as something that’s for younger guys,” Boldin said in an interview with Bertrand Berry and Mike Jurecki on Arizona Sports 98.7-FM. “If you’re a younger guy, it’s necessary for you to get in there to learn a new system, to learn your coaches, learn a new environment. For veteran guys, I don’t think it’s as necessary, personally. I like to spend that time with my family. ... For me, training camp is a necessary evil. I think that’s the only way you can get prepared for a season. So I prefer to sign right before training camp to make sure I get in, learn the new system, learn my teammates, get all the mistakes out of the way, get hit a couple times to make sure that when that first game comes I feel fully prepared.”
Boldin has been one of the most prolific receivers in league history. He sits 14th all-time in career receiving yards and could move into the top ten this season. He’s second on the active list behind former Arizona teammate Larry Fitzgerald.
Boldin reportedly wants to stay close to his home in Florida, but said it’s more important to find the right fit.
“For me, it’s just finding the right situation and that’s to make sure I’m comfortable and my family is comfortable wherever I am. So finding that right situation is the best way to put it,” Boldin said.
Boldin a durable option that has missed fewer than five games since he turned 30 years old. There will certainly be a team out there that feels he can help them, whether it’s before training camps open or after players inevitably start getting injured.