Tre Boston frustrated he’s still a free agent

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 6, 2019, 9:39 AM EDT
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Veteran safety Tre Boston is one of the dwindling number of players still available in our Free Agent Top 100. He’s frustrated by that.

Boston, who signed a one-year deal with the Chargers in 2017 and a one-year deal with the Cardinals in 2018, wrote on Twitter that he’s getting tired of having to sign “two prove-it deals” in a row and still not having a long-term contract this year. Responding to a Pro Football Focus tweet that called him one of the top defensive backs in the NFC West last season, Boston said he wishes teams would notice.

“Stats are beyond there! OBVIOUSLY!! The Players see it, the Fans see it, and are starting to question what’s going on. I like it, keep asking question,” Boston wrote.

Although there was a run on safeties early in free agency this year, Boston may be the odd man out. He’s still waiting, after NFL free agency has cooled down.

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23 responses to “Tre Boston frustrated he’s still a free agent”

  3. Call me nuts but it makes sense that teams would be a little uneasy having a safety that can’t tackle as their last line of defense.

  4. I get his frustration. Unfortunately for Boston, while he’s played well, his FA came at very bad times the past two years-and for very opposite reasons. Last year, there were only a few safety openings across the league, which is why it took a long time (and a couple of injuries) for Tre, Kenny Vaccaro, and finally Eric Reid to be signed. This year, there were many more openings-but even though Boston played well, he was not the biggest name on the FA list that included Eric Weddle, Tyrann Matheiu, and not least of all Earl Thomas. George Iloka and Tashaun Gipson also found new teams this cycle, and both have been solid starters in the league.

    Boston has a reason to be frustrated, though. While he had his early struggles with the Panthers, he developed into a very solid safety the last few years, and it does seem that he is an afterthought when he has shown that he is at the very least a respectable option for most teams. While that means he’ll get looks from teams, it also means that most won’t commit to him long term, even if some of them on the lower end have guys that probably aren’t as effective right now. I have to say that it’s pretty bad luck, but I do sympathize with the fact that he has to prove himself over and over, despite having done so already.

  5. He must have skills that GMs figure only fit certain schemes. Morgan Burnett just got a deal and although Browns management is familiar with him, he’s older and more injury-prone.

  6. His stats do look decent. Last year the safety position was snubbed in free agency. This season, a lot of big name players got released which pushed him into the background but honestly, I’d rather have a Tre’ Boston than an aging Eric Weddle or an oft-injured Eric Berry. It stinks he’s has to go another year without any long term security. Hopefully he churns out another solid season and can cash in.

  8. Love the self importance of the NFL player today. They all feel they should have the right for a job.. I know I would like to be hired by the NFL to hold the door for Godel but no one seems to care

  9. No mention whether he’s received any offers or what he’s looking for. Both could and probably are factors, Tre.

  10. It was a strange year for Free Agency. The Safety market was saturated. Simply put, supply and demand. The Dolphins had a RT in Ju’wan James. He was mediocre at best and on one of the worst ranked OL’s in the league for the past 3 years. Fortunately for him, very few RT’s were available and so he got paid LT money and is the highest paid RT ever. Any other year and he get a third of that.

  11. “Call me nuts but it makes sense that teams would be a little uneasy having a safety that can’t tackle as their last line of defense.”

    Call me nuts but I actually looked at his stats, last year 65 solo tackles and 13 assists, plus 3 INTs and 9 passes defensed which are good cover numbers for a safety. He’s a cover safety and probably not sent up into the box often where safeties get the extra tackles.

    but to say he “can’t tackle” is disproven by his numbers.

  13. FA has cooled, which means teams are waiting to see how the draft plays out. Be patient, you will get picked up in May.

  14. The guy has been overpricing himself for years. If he wanted to win, he would come in as a vet min player prove it deal for a winner.

    Otherwise, he is done.

  15. I followed the link to his player page. Last off-season he signed with the Cards after initially turning down their offer for the veteran minimum. They sweetened the offer and he signed which then set off a run on other free agent safety signings. In fact, he was signed BEFORE Mike Mitchell, Kenny Vaccaro and Eric Reid. He made a total of $2.5M last year. My guess is he wants something close to that, which is probably unrealistic. So he has a choice, either take less or get nothing.

  16. He’ll get signed, he’s just a victim of the compensatory picks formula right now. Another downside of signing 1 year deals.

  17. Packers could use him but then the problem, he wants to be paid in money. Promiss of a sb dont cut it with him or anyone good

  18. Maybe if his parents had named him Duo instead of Tre, he wouldn’t have had to take a 3rd prove it deal.

    Bad planning, Mom and Pop Boston.

  22. “Call me nuts but I actually looked at his stats,”

    That is an awful argument to make. “Maybe you watched every game he played in last season but I read boxscores so I win.”

    Boston does some things well and some things not so well. Tackling falls in the latter category. He misses far too many of them. I’m sure he’s getting offers, but just like last year when he admitted that he was expecting $7-8 million a year, the offers probably aren’t meeting his demands. In time he’ll get signed for a more realistic amount.

  23. “but to say he “can’t tackle” is disproven by his numbers.“

    You obviously aren’t a Chargers fan. Had you watched him play each and every game you would have seen him bounce off receivers and ball carriers every game that year. Stats only tell part of the story. Despite making 2 ints against the Jags in the last couple minutes of the game, his actions after one of them basically allowed them to stay in the game and win. It was mint all his fault but had he simply ran the ball back and not just jumped out of bounds we win that game and go to the playoffs. It’s really his mental lapses, not his ability that keep him from a long term contract. He’s more interested in being cool than being driven. I still like the guy but I’m a realist about him at the same time

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