WR David Boston initially made the Bucs' 53-man roster last September but was released the day before the season opener
David Boston's NFL comeback attempt will continue in the same place it gained steam last year, as the former Pro Bowl wide receiver has re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Boston first joined the Buccaneers in May of 2006 after two injury-plagued seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Still working to overcome the knee injury and subsequent surgery that cost him all but five games in the 2004-05 seasons, Boston performed well in training camp and initially made the regular-season roster in early September. However, he was released on the Saturday before the Buccaneers' season opener as the team, beset by offensive line injuries, cleared a roster spot to sign center/guard Scott Jackson. Boston did not re-sign with an NFL team during the '06 season.
The best-case scenario for Boston and the Buccaneers is a return to the form that made him one of the NFL's most dangerous receivers in the early 2000s. Even with a 2002 season cut in half by injury, he still averaged 68 receptions for 1,036 yards and six touchdowns from 2000-03.
Boston's peak season came in his third NFL campaign for the Arizona Cardinals, the team that drafted him eighth overall in 1999. On his way to the Pro Bowl in that 2001 campaign, the former Ohio State star hauled in 98 passes for 1,598 yards and eight touchdowns. Particularly dangerous after the catch, the powerfully built, 6-2, 228-pound Boston averaged at least 16 yards per catch in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
In 2003, Boston signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers and turned in a 70-catch season while appearing in 14 games. The Chargers traded Boston to the Miami Dolphins prior to the 2004 season, but a training camp knee injury wiped out that first campaign with the Dolphins. Boston attempted to return from the injury in 2005 but played in only five games and caught just four passes for 80 yards before going back to injured reserve.
During the 2006 preseason, Boston saw his most extensive action in the summer finale, at Houston on August 31. He led all players in that contest with six receptions for 77 yards, with a long of 33.
At Ohio State, Boston established 11 school records during his three years on the field, several of which are still standing. Of his 191 career receptions for 2,855 yards and 34 touchdowns, the first and third totals are still Buckeye standards while the yardage currently ranks second. He was a first-team All-America choice as a junior after catching 85 passes for 1,435 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Bucs have signed or re-signed seven receivers since the end of the 2006 season, including two – Chas Gessner and Chad Lucas – who finished the year on Tampa Bay's practice squad. Tampa Bay also signed free agents Jovon Bouknight, Efrem Hill, Chad Owens and Kyle Smith. Bouknight and Smith have been allocated to NFL Europa.
