Same, I've worked with Boeing engineers for over 20 years on commercial and defense projects. They are bright, want to build great things, and do the right thing. It is the management that forces the bad decisions. The engineers are almost never allowed to have any contact with us without what we call "handlers", who I assume were chosen for their lawyer-like mindsets. They severely limit what the engineers can discuss, what points they can consider, and drive everything to the Boeing position. They also like using the FAA as a scapegoat. If you can get an engineer away from the handler, you will almost always get a different story. They are very scared of retaliation, and what will happen if they step out of line. I've had Boeing engineers "reassigned" overnight in the middle of testing because they agreed with us and not what management wanted.
We always joke that if Boeing spent as much on engineering as they did on lawyers and trying to avoid doing what they should, they wouldn't need the lawyers.