The Arizona Cardinals are signing veteran safety Tre Boston to their secondary on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Veteran safety Tre Boston is signing with the Arizona Cardinals on a 1-year deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2018
Boston spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he was a key piece on an impressive defense that gave up just 17 points per game (No. 3 in the NFL). He had a career year, recording five interceptions with 79 tackles and eight passes defended in 16 games. He also played a team-high 986 defensive snaps.
Prior to his lone season in LA, Boston spent his first three years in the league with the Carolina Panthers, who picked him in the fourth round in 2014. After playing primarily as a backup in his first two seasons, he had a breakout season in 2016 as he had two interceptions, two sacks, and 52 tackles for the Panthers.
Boston, 26, will be reunited with Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, who was his defensive backs coach with the Panthers, as well as three other former Carolina teammates: corners Bené Benwikere and Lou Young and linebacker Jeremy Cash.
The Cardinals also brought in another free-agent safety (and former Panther) in Mike Mitchell for a visit and a physical on Wednesday. But apparently, they felt Boston was the better choice over Mitchell.
Boston will now join a Cardinals secondary which needed a bit more depth and talent after they released star safety Tyrann Mathieu this offseason. Boston could be in line to compete for a starting safety job for the Cardinals. Veteran Antoine Bethea and incoming second-year safety Budda Baker are currently in line to start this season.
