Green Bay Packers: Why not sign Tre Boston?

Free agent safety, Tre Boston still sits on the open market and the Green Bay Packers should consider signing him sooner than later.

The safety position was an absolute mess in 2018 to put it simply, and one that the Green Bay Packers haven’t truly figured out since the days of Nick Collins.

To remedy this issue, General Manager Brian Gutekunst made addressing the position a top priority this offseason when he would sign free agent Adrian Amos to a four year – $36 million deal and then would trade up in the first round of the draft to select Darnell Savage from Maryland.

While the Green Bay Packers at safety are greatly improved by those two moves, after Amos and Savage there are some depth concerns.

Josh Jones wants out of Green Bay and while we don’t know if the Packers will oblige if they do decide to keep him, we do know that he isn’t a reliable coverage option as a safety.

Then we have Raven Greene, who I would say is the clubhouse leader for that third safety spot at the moment, but as an undrafted rookie in 2018, he is still a bit of a wildcard. And behind him are players such as Mike Tyson and Natrell Jamerson who are likely special teams players and are just hoping to make the 53-man roster.

Enter free agent Tre Boston who has had a very odd career up to this point. And what I mean by that is that he has put together multiple solid seasons on the field but can’t seem to secure more than a one year deal with any team.

However, what he can provide the Green Bay Packers with is a cost-effective, proven veteran to add depth and stability to the back-end of the secondary.

Over his last two seasons with the L.A. Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals, Boston has totaled 122 solo tackles, 17 pass deflections, and eight interceptions. He’s also been very durable playing in 61 out of a possible 64 games during the previous four seasons.

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine asks a lot of his safeties. They need to be able to play against the run, drop into coverage, and bring the pressure, and Boston is just the player to do that.

While he brings the kind of versatility that this Green Bay Packers’ team covets, he will be at his best in coverage, where he can showcase his athleticism and ball skills, along with his ability to make tackles in the open field. Which is something that this Packers’ secondary has lacked in recent seasons.

In this Green Bay defense, Boston could be used in nickel and dime coverages which would allow him to roam the field and let his playmaking ability to take over.

This addition would also allow Savage to play more of that Morgan Burnett – hybrid linebacker/safety role closer to the line of scrimmage when Boston is in the game. This is an area that Savage played much more during his final season at Maryland.

Savage’s quick closing speed and ability to diagnose plays would make him a force as a run-stopper and in coverage on the short to intermediate routes by playing closer to the box.

With OTAs and Mini-camp now complete, currently, this hybrid role looks like a position that Greene could potentially fill if Jones does end up being traded or released.

As far as value goes, Boston may be the best option out there in terms of his potential contract cost and his past production on the field. With $8.9 million in cap space available according to Spotrac, the Green Bay Packers don’t have a huge amount of room, but it should be plenty to sign Boston who’s 2018 contract would cost Arizona just $1.5 million.

At only 27 years old, the Green Bay Packers would be getting a proven player in the prime of his career that will add depth and versatility to the back-end of the defense. And given his likely cost, the Packers should strongly consider signing him before another team does.