FanHouse DavidBoston

David Boston had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Arizona Cardinals in 2000 and 2001, when he was just 22 and 23 years old. He looked like he was going to be the best receiver in football for a decade to come.

It didn't work out that way, of course, because of a combination of Boston getting caught using steroids, getting arrested for drunk driving and displaying the kind of attitude that made him unwelcome in any NFL locker room.

So it's surprising to read an article from Canada, where he's now with the Toronto Argonauts, in which Boston comes across as the ultimate team player: He talks about how he is willing to play through pain just to help his team win, and how he loves the game so much that he's just happy to be playing it. That's not the Boston NFL fans remember.

But if this new and improved Boston is for real, it's not out of the question that he could be back in the NFL some day. He's only 29 years old, and he has incredible talent. All he ever needed was the right attitude, and he may have found it in Canada.

Well, he does live in Tampa, so the Bucs won't have to pay to fly Mike Williams in for a meet-and-greet. The newly unemployed former Raiders wideout could be a potential replacement for Tampa Bay's most recently waived former first-round bust, David Boston. Right now, though, we're still in the speculatin' stage:

The Bucs had not contacted the agent of the former Plant High and USC standout as of then, but they have an open roster spot after several transactions Wednesday. And with Michael Clayton still recovering from an ankle injury and questionable for this week, it's possible the Bucs will at least offer Williams a workout.

Gruden wouldn't comment on the possibility, but said, "It hasn't worked out for him, but if he keeps working, he'll get another chance."

So far, that's been the problem: Williams hasn't been working. The Bucs aren't exactly sporting an all-star cast at wideout. Save his rookie season, Clayton's been a bust, and the team's two best receivers -- Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway -- are a combined 110 years old*. (And Earnest Graham is third on the team in receptions.)

Old or not, the Bucs do sport the 11th-best passing offense in the league thanks, in part, to another old timer: Jeff Garcia. Williams probably isn't the down-the-road answer in Tampa -- hell, he's probably not the short-term answer either -- but at some point in the not-to-distant future, the Buccaneers will need to address their aging wide receiver corps.

* They may be closer to 66 years old

Now that David Boston has been released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after testing positive for GHB after a DUI arrest, the Tampa Tribune has decided to take Bucs GM Bruce Allen to task for his investigation of the charges against Boston. In case you forgot, this is what Allen said last month.

'We have investigated the David Boston situation and feel that we have an understanding of the facts. At this time, we have seen no objective evidence to support the charges that were brought against him.'

Well, the police showed him some evidence on Tuesday, and columnist Joe Henderson felt this was just part and parcel for Allen's tenure as GM.

So Allen 'investigated' after Boston's arrest and decided all was well, did he?

Bruce: 'You do it, man?'

Boston: 'Nope.'

Bruce: 'I'm sold.'

If Bruce Allen had been on the Warren Commission, Kennedy would have been day-to-day with a paper cut. And he'd blame the media for making too much of the whole riderless horse and eternal flame thing.

That may be a bit harsh, given that Boston did blow a zero on the breathalyzer, but Henderson trots out other fun facts, like Allen mockingly calling a reporter "Doctor" for suggesting Chris Simms had health issues, and Allen cutting Simeon Rice for failing a physical, even though he looked perfectly healthy playing for Denver last Sunday. Then he points to the scoreboard -- the Bucs are 20-30 since Allen became GM.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone really wants the Bucs to fire Allen. Perhaps the real question is whether the Glazers are too busy shifting around Manchester United's debts to notice that the Bucs' ship is sinking.

Now that police have revealed that David Boston tested positive for GHB when he was arrested for DUI, the question has to be asked -- why does an NFL wide receiver have "large amounts" of the infamous date-rape drug in his system?

As it turns out -- and I actually didn't know this -- GHB is actually popular among body builders, as many believe that the drug helps build muscle mass, though those claims aren't proven. Unfortunately, it can also be very addictive.

GHB has high potential for abuse. It can produce hallucinations, psychosis, depression, seizures, loss of consciousness and even a coma. Users can experience a loss of motor skills and speech difficulties.

Once addicted, a user would find it increasingly difficult to sleep and likely would have to take increasingly large doses of the drug, increasing the danger of psychosis and other major health problems.

Boy, that sounds like a great drug. Whose workout regimen wouldn't improve when visions of Bucco Bruce are there to serve as your spotter during bench presses?

Oh, by the way, GHB can also make you very, very sleepy. Boston was asleep at the wheel when the cops found him. Now he's going to have to explain why he had this drug in his system. This story isn't going to get any better, folks.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver David Boston had an illegal substance in his system when he was arrested for driving under the influence last month, police say.

Police did not specify which substance he tested positive for, but the Tampa Tribune reports that Boston's urine was tested for GHB, PCP, Ketamine, DXM and inhalants, and that he tested positive for "at least one" of those substances. Boston was not under the influence of alcohol.

The team had previously said that it stands by Boston, but this news may change matters. Boston has a history of off-field problems that includes an NFL suspension for a positive drug test, and he could be one strike away from seeing his once-promising NFL career come to an end.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Bruce Allen has released a statement related to the DUI arrest of wide receiver David Boston, and in this age of the NFL and its teams cracking down on off-field misconduct, the statement is surprisingly supportive of Boston:

"We have investigated the David Boston situation and feel that we have an understanding of the facts. At this time, we have seen no objective evidence to support the charges that were brought against him."

You can watch the video of Boston's field sobriety test to get a better idea for yourself of whether there's any evidence to support the charges. Although Boston passed a breathalyzer test, it's hard to understand how a person could have an innocent explanation for being passed out -- or sound asleep -- at the wheel of a car, with the engine running, stopped at an intersection.

Hat tip: Pro Football Talk.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver David Boston was charged with driving under the influence Thursday night, the Tampa Tribune is reporting.

According to the report, Boston was found passed out at the wheel of a Range Rover, with the engine running. He told a police officer he was on his way to Tampa International Airport. The Bucs have a preseason game at Miami tonight.

Boston's breath test came up negative, and the results of a urine test are pending. The 29-year-old Boston was once among the league's most promising young receivers, but his career has been derailed in large part because of his off-field problems. The Bucs thought he could make a comeback and contribute to their offense this year, but this arrest makes that less likely.

Ira Kaufman has a good article in the Tampa Tribune about David Boston, the wide receiver hoping to earn a roster spot with the Buccaneers, and I was shocked to learn that Boston is only 28 years old. It seems like ages ago that Boston was catching 98 passes for 1,598 yards with the Arizona Cardinals.

That was in 2001, when Boston was 23 years old and arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. If you had asked me at the time, I would have told you that Boston had an excellent chance of getting to the Hall of Fame some day.

Instead, everything has gone wrong: Injuries. Legal issues. A steroid suspension. He's bounced around from the Cardinals to the Chargers to the Dolphins to the Bucs, and in the last three seasons he has played in five games and caught four passes.

But Boston has a real chance of making the Bucs' roster, and if he does, there's no reason to think he can't be a solid contributor. He'll never be the player he was as a 23-year-old, but he could be a nice complement to Michael Clayton and Joey Galloway. I'm rooting for him.