It is no big secret that the Las Vegas Raiders need to upgrade their secondary next season, and that begins at the safety position. In 2020, Johnathan Abram did not have the kind of season that any Raiders fan was hoping for, as he was wildly inconsistent, and looked like a guy who missed nearly his entire rookie season due to injury.
Veteran Jeff Heath played well for the Silver and Black, one of the few new faces that made a positive impact in 2020, but Erik Harris took a significant step backward. In fact, Harris is likely done as a member of the Raiders, and with the question marks surrounding Abram, this is a position group that could look a lot different next season.
Abram is certain to be back in the starting lineup, as we can chalk last year up to him basically being a rookie and being counted on to be a leader in the secondary. While the cornerback spot has its issues too, we focus on the safety position in this piece and feel that the team should take a look at veteran Tre Boston.
Raiders should reunite Tre Boston and Gus Bradley
Boston is a guy who has been a solid safety throughout his NFL career and is someone who could come in and not only be a veteran in the locker room but a real asset alongside Abram in the starting lineup. He started all 16 games for the Carolina Panthers last season, hauling in three interceptions, and his 11 pass breakups were the most he had ever had in his career.
While 2020 was a good season for Boston, his best season came back in 2017, when he just happened to be playing for current Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Reuniting the two of them makes a lot of sense for the Raiders, as he likely will not have a high price tag, and is familiar with what Bradley likes to do on the defensive side of the ball.
Las Vegas should utilize some early draft capital on the safety spot as well, and we recently mocked Richie Grant from UCF to the Silver and Black in the second round. However, a move for Boston, who is still under 30 could stabilize the safety spot in 2021, giving a young player like Grant, and even Abram, a veteran to lean on.