Veteran FA safety Tre Boston could make sense for Broncos
Mar 9, 2021, 7:15 AM | Updated: Feb 28, 2023, 9:16 am
If indeed Kareem Jackson falls victim to salary cap circumstances this offseason, the Denver Broncos might be wise to turn to another veteran safety without a home for 2021: Tre Boston.
A cap casualty himself, after the Carolina Panthers informed him he would be released this offseason, Boston will be available come free agency, and likely at a much lower price than Jackson.
And while coming off statistically a down season, Boston was dubbed the most underrated free agent at the safety position this offseason by Sam Monson for ESPN.com on Monday.
Per Pro Football Focus, Boston’s down year in 2020 ranked him toward the bottom of all safeties in the NFL with a grade 53.8. Comparatively, Jackson graded out at a 80.4, good enough for sixth among all safeties last season.
However, in recent seasons, Boston has grades of 76.4 (2019), 74.1 (2018) and 80.6 (2017), which compares favorably to Jackson.
Perhaps more important in the case for signing Boston is his relatively low cost.
Last March, Boston inked a three-year, $18 million deal with Carolina that included a $8 million guaranteed. Previous to that, he signed one-year deals with the Panthers, Cardinals and Chargers ranging from $900,000 to $2.125 million.
By comparison, Jackson signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Broncos in 2019 that included a guarantee of $23 million, earning nearly double the average annual salary as Boston.
Last week, Broncos general manager George Paton said Denver would like to have Kareem on the roster in 2021 but did so in way that didn’t exactly exude confidence in the safety’s future in the Mile High City.
“We have to work through some things, but we’ve had positive conversations. We would like Kareem back,” Paton said. “He’s a good football player and a good leader. We’ll see if we can do that.”
The comments came on the heels of DenverFan.com Senior Broncos Writer John Clayton telling “Stokley & Zach” last week he believes Jackson’s odds of remaining in orange and blue in 2021 likely “aren’t very good.”
“My feeling is he’s going to be a cap casualty,” Clayton said.
If indeed Jackson ends up on the cutting room floor in Denver, Boston could be an economical option for the Broncos next season.
