Steelers trade for Eagles CB Brandon Boykin

I really do think Boykin is already the best CB on the roster.  That's not necessarily saying much with our CB corps.  But he's a William Gay clone with better ballhawking skills.  For a 5th round pick that is absolutely fine by me.  We look a lot more solid in the defensive backfield now than we did yesterday.  It's a lot easier to throw Cortez to the bench now if he fails miserably again.

And yes, I agree I definitely think they try to extend him.  Obviously not until after the season to make sure he can succeed in our defense.  But as un-Steeler-like as this move is, it would be even more un-Steeler-like for us to make this kind of trade for a young impact player in a contract year with no intention of keeping him.  As this is also a contract year for William Gay, I was wondering what they would do if he asked for too much money after another good season, and I think this is the answer; if he asks for too much, they now have a younger, better William Gay just entering his prime that they can sign.

maybe its my hopeless optimism but i think our defense is going to surprise us this year.......in a good way

Boykin: 'I've heard nothing but great things'

Newly acquired Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin is eager to get to work with his new team.

LATROBE, Pa. - Brandon Boykin wasn’t expecting to be traded, but nor was he complaining about his new NFL destination.

“My first NFL (preseason) game at Philadelphia was against (the Steelers) and I remember being in our stadium still seeing those (Terrible) towels waving around,” Boykin recalled today upon his arrival at St. Vincent College. “That’s a vivid memory in my mind.

“Just knowing that that fans base is big and what it means and just the reputation that surrounds it, I’m excited to be a part of it because I feel like we share the same mentality.”

Boykin, a former fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2012, joined his new team looking ahead, not behind.

“I just talked to Coach (Mike) Tomlin and he just told me that he was excited for me to be here,” Boykin said. “Their expectations for me are to come in and just play. They got me because they know that I can make plays and they feel like I can help.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Boykin, 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, spent his first three NFL seasons mostly playing sub-package cornerback and special teams for the Eagles (48 games, six starts, 54 kickoff returns).

“I’m excited, I’m glad to be here,” he said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things. I have a couple former teammates that are playing here. (Outside linebacker) Jarvis Jones, I played with him at Georgia, I know he’s here. (Punter) Brad Wing, I played with him a little bit. And (offensive tackle Alejandro) Villanueva, he was there at Philly.

“I saw all those guys today. They told me it’s a great place, a great atmosphere, you’re going to have fun, you’re going to learn a lot but we’re going to work hard. As a player - I kinda consider myself a veteran - that’s all you want is just a respectable environment, somewhere where you can jell with guys and be able to work towards that common goal of a championship.”

Boykin isn’t sure what role he’ll play with the Steelers, but he maintained he’d play any role enthusiastically.

to read rest of article:

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Boykin-Ive-heard-nothing-but-great-things/07a71aae-c5be-4c51-b18a-43c9c16248dc

I expect us to try to keep him if he plays well. They apparently wanted to trade for him in the draft. What we are seeing also I think indicates a difference between Lebeau's philosophy on CBs and Butler's. Dick liked tall , physical guys like Ike, Cortez, Curtis Brown but Golson, Grant, and now Boykin are shorter guys with more playmaking ability.

Well, let's look at the bright side. Chip Kelly's alleged racism is the Steelers gain. Race away Chip!

Steelers Continue DB Makeover With Boykin

Aug 02, 2015
Jim Wexell
Publisher SteelCityInsider.net

The Steelers picked up a cover-2 cornerback who was unhappy playing for Chip Kelly.

LATROBE -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are learning the nuances of playing cover-2 in their secondary and helped that cause Saturday night by trading a fifth-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for cornerback Brandon Boykin.

Boykin is a classic cover-2 corner who wanted to play more and to play for a coach with whom he could communicate better.

The Eagles wanted Boykin to be taller and to stop complaining about a lack of playing time.

Both got their wish, and so did the Steelers.

"They got me because they know I can make plays," said Boykin. "They feel like I can help. That's exactly what I'm going to do."

Boykin is a 5-9 1/2, 185-pounder who started three years at Georgia and made nine interceptions and returned five kicks for touchdowns. He also ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run as a running back who played on both sides of the ball his senior season.

Boykin was knocked for his size coming out, but showed quick feet and an explosive burst and was considered by many teams to be a second-round talent. However, a compound fracture of the fibula in the Senior Bowl knocked Boykin down to the fourth round, where the Eagles drafted him in 2012.

Boykin was a starter by his second year and intercepted six passes to finish second in the NFL. But he lost his starting job the following season and intercepted only one pass as the slot corner in sub-packages. Boykin told a local reporter that he felt Eagles Coach Chip Kelly favored taller cornerbacks, and the current Eagles' roster certainly bears that out.

Formerly the shortest cornerback on the team, Boykin leaves a team that has six cornerbacks 6-0 or taller. The Steelers have only Cortez Allen.

Fuel was thrown on the fire after Boykin was traded to the Steelers and he told a Philadelphia reporter that Kelly was "uncomfortable around grown men of our culture."

It provided fodder on the Internet for talk of racism, but Boykin explained his comment to Pittsburgh reporters Sunday afternoon.

to read rest of article:

https://twitter.com/jimwexell

kan_t wrote:

I would be surprise if the Steelers don't extend him. They're willing to give a 5th/4th rounder for him. I doubt they intend to keep him for just one year with that price.

.THATS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!

If Boykin thought Chip Kelly was awkward and demotivating, he is going to come to the Burgh with Tomlin, Butler, Carnell Lake and fall in love with the organization. Extend Boykin, then sign whoever you can of Blake and Gay next year and if Cortez returns to form you can end up with Boykin, Allen, Gholson (Gay or Blake), Grant as the top 5 CB's.

If that happens I see the 2016 #1 pick as an OG like Landon Turner of UNC, or a Safety like Nate Andrews

Tomlin can only win with Chip Kelly's players!

harrison'samonster wrote:

Tomlin can only win with Chip Kelly's players!

Good for him, because Chip Kelly cant win with Chip Kelly's players.

tony hipchest wrote:

The draft pick turns into a 4th rounder if Boykins plays 60% of snaps.

Good chance of that happening. Last year our nickel corner played 60% of snaps

Alex Kozora ‏@Alex_Kozora -

If Boykin truly is the nickel back, the Steelers use it about 50% of the time. So barring injury, no slam dunk he hits escalator. #Steelers

https://twitter.com/Alex_Kozora

Just heard an interview with him. He seems well spoken and knowledgeable. He says he was talking about Kelly's ability to relate to players which is something he says he values which would make sense given Kelly is a bit eccentric. Anyhow think this is a good trade for us.

Good.

Jackpot!!!

Great CB, who can return kick-offs.

Boykin brings athleticism, ball skills

Posted Aug 1, 2015
Bob Labriola
Steelers.com

The Steelers continued to re-make their secondary by acquiring Brandon Boykin from the Eagles.

LATROBE, Pa. – We have come to understand that the Steelers don’t immediately dismiss a cornerback because of his height. Apparently, the Philadelphia Eagles do.

In a move announced after the team’s Saturday practice at Saint Vincent College, the Steelers acquired veteran cornerback Brandon Boykin from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Because the Steelers currently have 90 players on their roster, a corresponding move to open a spot will have to be made.

A fourth-round pick by the Eagles out of the University of Georgia in 2012, Boykin had six interceptions and 17 passes defensed in his second NFL season. But once Chip Kelly was hired as the Eagles coach in 2013, there became only one significant statistic as it pertained to Boykin.

Five-foot-10.

During the 2014 season, his third in the NFL, Boykin was relegated to the slot while the Eagles started Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher at cornerback, and despite ranking 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, Kelly never made a lineup change despite Boykin showing in 2013 that he had the instincts and ball skills to finished tied for second in the NFL with those six interceptions.

The reason, while never stated publicly by Kelly or the Eagles, was height.

“I think (the Eagles) have certain requirements. I think we should be honest and call it what it is,” Boykin told the Philadelphia Inquirer early in the offseason. “Maybe they want a taller guy to be outside, and that’s what their preference is just to start the standard. And I’m sure there are some exceptions. There’s a reason I’m still here.”

But as the offseason progressed, the Eagles continued to re-make their cornerback position to Kelly’s specifications, and the sum total of those moves evidently made Boykin expendable.

Williams was a salary cap casualty and Fletcher left via free agency. And so it was that the Eagles spent a bunch of money replacing those two players and then continued to add players there who are similar physically – all tall, with long arms.

Byron Maxwell (6-1) signed a $63 million free agent contract; Eric Rowe (6-1) was drafted in the second round; JaCorey Shepherd (5-11) and Randall Evans (6-0) were drafted in the sixth round; and veteran E.J. Biggers (6-0) was signed to a one-year deal. Nolan Carroll (6-0) is the lone holdover from the 2014 group. Up until the trade, Boykin had been the shortest cornerback on the roster.

The Steelers also are in the process of making over their secondary, but for them the top requirement is making plays on the football. In the three seasons from 2012-14, Steelers defenses faced 1,635 pass attempts and finished with only 31 interceptions. From the 2014 group, Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu both retired, and Brice McCain signed with the Miami Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent.

The Steelers didn’t make any moves during free agency involving defensive backs, but during the 2015 draft the Steelers added Senquez Golson, Doran Grant, and Gerod Holliman to the mix.

“The neat thing about this group, we wanted to get better in the back end,” said General Manager Kevin Colbert on the day the picking ended, “and between Senquez who had 10 interceptions and Doran who had five and Gerod Holliman who had 14, we just added 29 interceptions to our defensive backfield, and we are excited about what that can bring.”

The Steelers also are working on the basics of cover-2, which will allow their defensive backs to play facing the quarterback, which in theory should put them in a better position to make plays on the ball once it is thrown. That philosophy is more dependent on defensive backs who are quick, athletic, and have good ball skills, and is less reliant on height.

Before making the trade for Boykin, the Steelers had 16 defensive backs on their roster, and cornerback Cortez Allen was the tallest at 6-1, and safeties Mike Mitchell and Ian Wild the only other players at least 6-0. Of the guys in the heat of the battle for roster spots and playing time, William Gay is 5-10, Grant is 5-10, Kevin Fogg is 5-10, B.W. Webb is 5-11, Holliman is 5-10, Antwon Blake is 5-9, and Golson – currently on PUP – is 5-9.

“Measurements and all that – it helps, I’m sure, in certain situations – fade balls and jump balls,” said Boykin, who just turned 25 in July. “But if you have the athleticism and quickness to play outside it doesn’t matter.”

Boykin will enter the final season of the rookie contract he signed with the Eagles in 2012, and so he could become an unrestricted free agent next March. Playing in about half the snaps for the Eagles in 2013 as a slot cornerback, Boykin had six interceptions and 17 passes defensed, but his statistics dropped to one interception and nine passes defensed in 2014 as Kelly trended toward taller players, which resulted in Boykin being on the field for about 40 percent of the defensive snaps in 2014.

“This year, I guarantee will be even better,” said Boykin. “I feel way better than I did last year. I was battling a hamstring from like the second game all the way throughout the season. This offseason, did yoga, did a lot of stuff just to get my body right, and I feel like I did in 2013.”

to read rest of article:

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Boykin-brings-athleticism-ball-skills/aeb27318-ae47-462c-ac12-d94031b04d6f

Chip Kelly did Boykin a favor by allowing him to earn a bigger role with the Steelers. It's time for him to shut up about the eagles and focus on being a Pittsburgh Steeler now. The fans got the back story, now hopefully the local media can put it to rest.

Lord knows it will all be dug back up by the national media during superbowl week media day.

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

tony hipchest wrote:

The draft pick turns into a 4th rounder if Boykins plays 60% of snaps.

Good chance of that happening. Last year our nickel corner played 60% of snaps

Alex Kozora ‏@Alex_Kozora -
 
If Boykin truly is the nickel back, the Steelers use it about 50% of the time. So barring injury, no slam dunk he hits escalator. #Steelers

https://twitter.com/Alex_Kozora

I would be surprise if he doesn't hit that mark. He's not only one of the better slot CB in the league. He may also be the best outside CB on the Steelers (or at least as good as Gay and Allen). If someone goes down, I think he will move to outside and Grant fills his slot CB role.

Great trade if they extend him! Let's hope he can put up his 2013 numbers again.

Fire Colbert! He traded a 5th round (possibly 4th) for this guy? And what have we seen out of him? A big fat nothing! No picks, no tackles thus far. Bust for sure!

And Tony's right, he needs to just shut up about Philly. They suck anyways, so there should be nothing to talk about. It would be like any of us guys talking about the less pretty ex girlfriend when we are dating a super model. Just shut up bulldog and live the dream already!

vasteeler wrote:

maybe its my hopeless optimism but i think our defense is going to surprise us this year.......in a good way

Hello peeps! Exactly how I feel vasteeler!!! I am hoping this unit gels quickly & turns some heads. I love this Boykin pick up, it seems we have been waiting for a move like this for YEARS! Heres to a speedy recovery for Golson!

SoCalFan wrote:

vasteeler wrote:

maybe its my hopeless optimism but i think our defense is going to surprise us this year.......in a good way

Hello peeps! Exactly how I feel vasteeler!!! I am hoping this unit gels quickly & turns some heads. I love this Boykin pick up, it seems we have been waiting for a move like this for YEARS! Heres to a speedy recovery for Golson!

Appears to be lots of potential all around, just like the offense a year ago. Way too many "potential" players for them all to be a bust. Someone is going to step up and I feel there's enough depth to really right this ship in the direction of where it used to be.

I think our defensive line is finally set, something that's been missing since Aaron Smith was lost years ago. Hood never lived up to his billing and that cost Cam Heyward some time. Tuitt looked solid. McLendon and McCullers are two different styles of player, and I love that. Big Mac is a handful on the line.

The linebackers can be pretty good no matter what rotation is out there. And as everyone said about, Boykin really shores up any further concerns with corner. He's going to be better than Brice McCain was. Way more athletic and possibly a glimpse into what Senquez could be, when he gets healthy. (I hope he ends up on the PUP and back in 9 weeks...)

I'm one of the few Cortez Allen defenders. Let's hope I'm right on this. That kid is mega talented, and with the way Gay played last season, those 2 on the outside with Blake and/or Boykin, that's going to help a ton.

The real question mark is safety. I also defended Mike Mitchell. He's going to be better this season without Troy and a minor shift in defensive philosophy. Shark is a concern for health too, but Will Allen has proven to be a valuable asset. Two injuries in that position might really hurt. You're stuck with shifting Grant over or using Holliman. Both will have growing pains as rookies.

Overall, I don't think the defense can get worse... if they even improve just a bit, it might be enough for a deep playoff run.

Inside the Steelers: Boykin's 'pick six' highlights late drill

By Chris Adamski
Friday, Aug. 7, 2015

• Newest Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin jumped a route in the slot during a 7-on-7 drill late in practice Friday, intercepting Landry Jones for a “pick six.” Mike Tomlin excitedly approached Boykin, saying, “Welcome to Pittsburgh!” as the two shook hands. Boykin playfully appeared to present the game ball to Tomlin, who raised his fist to the air in joy as the crowd gathered in a far corner of the fan area cheered.

• During an 11-on-11 drill in which the first-team defense was in, Boykin played right cornerback with William Gay in the slot and Antwon Blake on the left side.

to read rest of article:

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/8801442-74/drill-practice-bell#ixzz3iBZYB2fM

Brandon Boykin Trade Teases Early Return On Investment

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin has only been with the team for a short while, but it certainly hasn’t taken him long in order to make his presence felt. While he is not in the starting lineup, he did look like the best defensive back on the field for the team last night in the league’s preseason opener...

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/08/brandon-boykin-trade-teases-early-return-on-investment/

ha ha ...the iggles lost a cornerback now they wishin they had boykins.....suckas

it sounds like even in practice nothing gets by boykin. the kid can ball, don't be surprised if he's our #1 cb by the beginning of the season

I really hope the Steelers would extend him before the season starts. Don't want to risk him leaving next season.