skinsfanjoe Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1617743 NFL Insider Send an Email to Darrell Trimble Wednesday, September 17 Updated: September 17 11:52 AM ET During the offseason, the San Diego Chargers targeted an impact wide receiver as a priority. With a young and improving quarterback and a stud runner, that was the missing piece to the offensive puzzle. So the Chargers brain trust set its sights on the highest-profile free agent at the position, David Boston. LaDainian Tomlinson went to dinner with Boston and told him how he and the team needed a "big-time" recveiver, and the fifth-year wideout certainly fit the profile. Although last season was cut short because of a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, he had led the NFL with 1,598 yards receiving in 2001. So with little regard to the injury and his history of run-ins with his coaches and the law, the Bolts signed Boston to a seven-year, $47 million contract. It's an investment that they may come to regret, if they don't already, because instead of a big-time player Boston is already shaping up to be a big-time headache. Last week, Boston, who was suffering from a bruised heel that bothered him all through training camp, declared to the media that he wouldn't play in Sunday's division matchup against the Denver Broncos. Too bad he didn't clue Marty Schottenheimer in on that fact prior to the announcement. Boston Part of his health issues could be linked to his much-talked about size. Boston has muscles as large as bowling balls and his weight increased to 260 pounds this summer. Some of the people in Arizona felt that his ever-increasing mass played a part in his knee injury, and though his bruised heel may not be directly related to his girth, the extra weight he's carrying around certainly doesn't make it any easier to heal. In fact, the extra weight might not be doing him any good at all. After the season opener, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Eric Warfield said: "Boston may have done too much offseason working out. He's huge, but he's lost a few steps. He beat me off the line once, but I was able to catch up with him pretty easy, and I'm not a 4.3 guy. "Everybody's read the stories and heard about his size and all the weight he's put on and all the speed he supposedly still has. Honestly, I didn't see it. I saw the weight he had and the so-called big pipes he has, but he didn't have the speed to go along with it." That remains to be seen, because it takes more than one game to make a legitimate assessment of his play, but his two receptions for 20 yards aren't the stuff of $47 million contracts. But even if his production increases, his attitude could still be a problem, especially with a hardline coach like Schottenheimer. Boston upset Schottenheimer when he left the field before the end of Sunday's loss and then didn't come into the locker room for Schottenheimer's postgame speech. According to the East Valley Tribune, Boston was seen talking on his cell phone in a tunnel at Qualcomm Stadium while the game was finishing up. "If a player is on the sideline, he needs to stay there throughout the entire game," Schottenheimer told reporters in San Diego. "Our entire team should be in the locker room. I don't know what he was doing. I want him in the locker room." But if his behavior continues in this pattern, Scottneheimer might soon understand why Arizona coaches didn't want him in their locker room.:gaintsuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_good_brotha Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Thank goodness we brought in Coles. Or better yet, what if "the Dan" hadn't fired Marty? Would Bust-on be our problem? That's a frightening thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsfanjoe Posted September 18, 2003 Author Share Posted September 18, 2003 Sounds like our FO new what they were doing when they passed on Boston and Peerless and signed Coles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Boston = Westbroken! Incredible physical skills. One breakout year after 2 years of nothing despite being a top 5 draft pick. Constantly injured. Poor route runner. Mental case and locker room cancer with a vastly inflated view of himself. Marty fires Centers for wearing a cap during a team meeting, but sucks up all the crap Boston dishes out. :doh1: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenaciousd Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 I read that in the offseason our front office said "we didn't even look at him. He wasn't on our map at all." Apparantly insiders knew he was a huge gamble. I'll admit I was one of those guys saying "I can't believe Arizona did it again. They sit 12 mil under the cap and let guys like David Boston go." Well, thats why I don't work in a front office. He's a WEIRD cat. Oh, and yeah his total contract is for $47 million. But he only has a $4 mil signing bonus. That should have been a sign in itself. Now I dont see SD cutting him at the end of this season regardless of what happens, but if they have to eventually they won't be devistated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awgustlab Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Boston seems like a complete DICK. F him. I hope he turns out to be a bust - it's players like that the the NFL and "teams" don't need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskrat Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Add into this the apparent fact that Boston is more interested in pursuing a 'bodybuilder like' build than in pursuing a hall of fame career and you have a physically stunning specimen with no real desire to play WR anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 I don't live to defend Marty, but this most assuredly wasn't his doing. Remember, he's not GM down there, and the post-1997 version of Marty in particular (that's when his high priced FA vets on the Chiefs melted down and undercut him, getting him fired) can't stand high profile players who challenge his authority. However, all of this doesn't mean that I don't think the two of them deserve each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Boston was problematic and the better offensive coaches stayed clear of him because of the injury problems and attitude. It is really ironic that Marty got burned on spending the team's purse on an flamboyant OFFENSIVE free agent, being a conservative defensive coach. After refusing to trade or sign a veteran qb to give the Redskins some insurance behind Jeff George in 2001, Marty spent his sole season here going with career backups Tony Banks and Kent Graham :mad: Once again, Marty shows that as far as offense goes his judgment on personnel is flawed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe7 Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 I promise you either Marty or Boston will be GONE before next season begins, Marty will not be able to handle him one more year without having a coronary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyward72 Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Still too early in the season to determine a bust. Although he seems just as injury pron as last season. Also glad the Skins kept away from this guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.