One area that is still pretty thin for the Pittsburgh Steelers is the secondary, most notably the cornerback position.
For the Steelers to be better in 2015, they have to get better play from their corners.
With that in mind, the team added to their current group of corners on Saturday when they acquired Brandon Boykin from the Philadelphia Eagles.
In exchange for Boykin, the Steelers will send a 2016 conditional fifth-round draft pick in return. According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan, the pick can become a fourth-rounder if Boykin meets certain benchmarks regarding playing time.
Boykin, who is in the final year of his contract, spent the last three seasons in Philadelphia, where he recorded 108 total tackles and seven interceptions in 48 regular-season games.
He has played pretty well in the slot for the Eagles in the past, but never really cracked Philadelphia’s starting lineup, only making six starts the past three seasons. However Boykin has the talent to potentially crack the Steelers starting lineup if their current crop of corners underachieve.
Even more importantly, Boykin could fill a major role as a kick returner.
During his first two seasons with the Eagles, Boykin returned 54 kickoffs for 1,242 yards.
Boykin will make $1.54 million this season and was the Eagles’ best cornerback in 2014 and rated No. 21 overall by Pro Football Focus.
Photo Credit: USA Today Sports
