Steelers would be smart to re-sign CB Brandon Boykin

[hawaiiansteeler]

The Steelers would be smart to re-sign CB Brandon Boykin

By: Daniel Sager | February 11, 2016

In just the second week of training camp last August, the Pittsburgh Steelers shipped a late-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for CB Brandon Boykin. The Steelers, who just a year before finished 27th in the NFL in pass defense, were in desperate need of a starting cornerback after Cortez Allen’s nagging camp injuries and Senquez Golson’s shoulder injury that ultimately ended his rookie season before it began.

Strangely, the Steelers all but excluded Boykin from the playing field for nearly three-quarters of the season. Playing behind William Gay, Antwan Blake, and Ross Cockrell, the latter of which was claimed from the Buffalo Bills just a week before the regular season, Boykin was on the field for roughly 10 percent of the Steelers’ snaps in Weeks 1 through 12. In the last five games of the season, however, rookie defensive coordinator Keith Butler (perhaps at the urging of Mike Tomlin, or possibly the inverse) installed Boykin as Pittsburgh’s nickel corner, and he excelled, batting down a trio of passes and securing an interception against the Bengals.

That late-season success, coupled with his age (25) and presumably team-friendly contract number is making Boykin a trendy commodity. With free agency just under a month away, the Steelers would be wise to get their affairs in order and offer Boykin a contract extension.

All season, observers of the Steelers wondered why the coaching staff was leaving one of the league’s top nickel cornerbacks on the bench. Many posited that Boykin’s “demotion” was the result of him failing to grasp Pittsburgh’s system, but given his play at the end of the season, Boykin’s early-season absence is extremely confounding. According to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Boykin earned positive pass coverage grades in each of Pittsburgh’s final five regular season games. Beginning in Week 16, Boykin played at least 60 snaps in the final two weeks of the season and in Pittsburgh’s two playoff games. He collected a sack this season, and most notably, he did not commit a single penalty in any other 407 snaps that he played in 2015.

Boykin, along with Gay and Blake, are all set to hit free agency in March. PFF named Boykin as one of the 10 best cornerbacks that will be available next month, while ESPN pegged him as one of the most “intriguing” options available. Either way, if the Steelers want him back, they apparently will not be alone.

Fortunately for Pittsburgh...

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http://steelerswire.usatoday.com/201...randon-boykin/

[steelreserve]

Whether we want to re-sign him is probably irrelevant, since we treated him like shit. If I were him, I would be PISSED and not want anything to do with any team in Pennsylvania.

[86WARD]

He did well when he played and well when he warmed the bench.

[st33lersguy]

If he wanted to resign, which he probably doesn't

[salamander]

I highly doubt he'd want to re-sign here. I saw that Brice McCain was released today though

[Count Steeler]

The Steelers need to upgrade their secondary. Period. Starter wise, depth wise, long term wise.