The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed their major problem in the secondary by trading for Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin. The Steelers gave up a conditional 5th-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft that can become a 4th-rounder depending on how much playing time Boykin receives. Boykin was used as a slot cornerback in Philadelphia due in large part to his size (5'10"). He had a relatively quiet 2014 season with the Eagles, recording 42 tackles, 1 interception and 9 passes defensed with 1 forced fumble compared to his monstrous 2013 season in which he had 47 tackles, 6 interceptions, 1 interception returned for a touchdown, 16 passes defensed, and 2 forced fumbles.
Boykin was regulated only to the slot despite the Eagles cornerback issues (i.e. Cary Williams). Many feel that Boykin is best in the slot but Chip Kelly was not giving him the opportunity to really shine by giving him more playing time and a shot at the outside. That will change in Pittsburgh where he will be given every chance to succeed in their secondary that is desperate for a play-maker. William Gay had a nice year last year, returning 3 interceptions for touchdowns, but the others were either disappointing (Cortez Allen), signed by another team (Brice McCain), or retired (Ike Taylor).
Many feel that the Eagles got a steal with a conditional-5th round pick that can, and likely will, be turned into a 4th-round pick due to the Steelers likely playing Boykin a lot this season. Boykin is entering the last season of his rookie contract and will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2015 season. However, he is only causing a cap hit of about $1.6 million, according to spotrac.com, which is a great bargain for a top-25 corner which this writer believes Boykin is. The Steelers pride themselves on being a team who doesn't make any big splashes in free agency and instead re-signs their own players. Do not be surprised to see Boykin wearing black and yellow in 2016. The Steelers finally got their #1 cornerback. The only problem is that this trade might have signified that rookie 2nd-round pick Senquez Golson's shoulder injury may be serious. Now only if that safety issue could be fixed.