Brandon Boykin - Pro Football Rumors

Steelers Notes: Suisham, Boykin, Colbert

February 16th, 2016 at 7:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Shaun Suisham spent the season on IR and while he was out, kicker Chris Boswell sank 29 of 32 field goal tries. Will it be out with the old and in with the new for the Steelers? Not quite. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says the team won’t cut Suisham anytime soon and instead the team will have a kicker competition, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.

“We feel very fortunate we have two kickers to work with. We should have a great competitive situation,” Colbert said (Twitter link via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).

Here’s more on the Steelers:

Colbert said that cornerback Brandon Boykin didn’t play as much as the player and the team anticipated, Dulac tweets. When asked about the free agent, Colbert said, “He helped us down the stretch. He’ll definitely be an option [to re-sign] for us” (link).
The feeling is mutual, as Boykin says he’d consider a return. “At the end, the organization said they appreciated how I went about it, being a pro, not really talking about it,” Boykin said (via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com). “I don’t have any hard feelings toward Pittsburgh. Absolutely, under the right circumstances, for sure [I’d return].” Boykin, Pro Football Focus’ 10th-ranked free-agent cornerback (sub req’d), was mainly relegated to special teams duty in 2015. That was a big step down for Boykin who recorded six interceptions with the Eagles in 2013.
Colbert says his focus is on keeping talent in-house rather than acquiring it elsewhere (Twitter link via Dulac). “If there is a guy on outside who makes us better we’ll plug him in. Our big play is keeping our own,” the GM said.
Colbert says the team’s cap situation “relative to other years is pretty good,” (Twitter link via Dulac). He went on to say that the team doesn’t have to “make a lot of drastic changes.”
Earlier today, Colbert indicated to reporters that James Harrison is in the team’s plans for 2016. Soon after, the linebacker’s agent hinted that his client plans to be in camp with Pittsburgh, though other reps of his say things are still up in the air.

Sunday Roundup: Manning, 49ers, Norman

January 24th, 2016 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

In a few hours, we will know which teams will be heading to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50. In the meantime, let’s dive into some news and notes from around the league:

Although the story has largely fallen out of mainstream coverage, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the NFL is still reviewing the HGH allegations surrounding Broncos QB Peyton Manning and that the matter is not yet resolved.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly has been very noncommittal in his comments regarding Colin Kaepernick, suggesting that Kelly is less excited about the prospect of having Kaepernick run his offense than one might think. It is especially strange that Kelly claimed he could not discuss how Kaepernick might fit into his offense because it was against NFL offseason rules, when in fact it is not against league rules to discuss a player who is under contract. Of course, Kelly’s comments could just be a reflection of his guarded, introverted personality, but the lack of enthusiasm is still somewhat surprising.
The 49ers are still looking for a new defensive coordinator, and per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the team is interested in former Browns DC Jim O’Neil. Former Browns head coach Mike Pettine has said he wants to take the 2016 season off.
Panthers CB Josh Norman, an impending free agent, is set to cash in on his terrific 2015 campaign, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) observes, Norman will likely seek a contract in the Richard Sherman/Patrick Peterson neighborhood (both of whom recently signed deals with more than $40MM in guarantees). The Panthers could, of course, put the franchise tag on Norman–at a value of $13-14MM–but Carolina should have around $20MM in cap space and does not have many other high priority free agents to worry about.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers must improve their secondary in the offseason, but the problem is that they have few internal options that they can reasonably rely upon. The team may be forced to open its checkbook, and Bouchette thinks it would be wise for the Steelers to re-sign Brandon Boykin. He also names Eric Weddle as an intriguing possibility.
According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, one of the reasons the Jaguars handed a one-year extension to head coach Gus Bradley was to avoid a situation like the one Chuck Pagano recently faced in Indianapolis. Pagano’s expiring contract, of course, created a season-long distraction that Jacksonville hopes to avoid.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com compared the Giants‘ roster to those of the four conference finalists, and in so doing, he discovered the biggest problem that the team faced in 2015 and may continue to face moving forward. Although the Giants do not have enough homegrown talent, and although they need to get more production from their first-round draft picks, the most significant concern the team faced relative to the league’s more successful franchises is that it did not get enough production from its highest-paid players. Big Blue got nothing, or next to nothing, from three of its highest-paid players–Victor Cruz, Will Beatty, and Jason Pierre-Paul–which will make for some interesting decisions in the offseason.

AFC Notes: Texans, Watkins, Boykin

October 16th, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL eyeing locations beyond the United Kingdom for international games in future seasons, the Texans are targeting a potential game in Mexico City in 2016, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Of course, like most other teams that express interest in playing an international contest, Houston would prefer to be the road team in such a game.

“I believe there’s a chance,” Texans president Jamey Rootes said of playing in Mexico City. “We’ve always expressed that we have an interest in participating internationally as a road team. … We’ve made it clear that we’re most interested in doing that in Mexico. It’s an amazing opportunity for the team and the league. But it’s a league decision, and it would be on their timing.”

Let’s check out a few more odds and ends from around the AFC….

With Bills wideout Sammy Watkins having expressed a desire to have more passes thrown his way, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the situation in Buffalo, discussing the role that targets play in contract discussions for wide receivers.
The Steelers sent a fifth-round pick to Philadelphia when they acquired cornerback Brandon Boykin, but Pittsburgh seems unwilling to play Boykin, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com details. Presumably, the Steelers will want to get some value out of Boykin eventually, to warrant giving up that draft pick, but Fowler looks into why the ex-Eagle has only seen one defensive snap in the last three weeks.
Patriots cornerback Tarell Brown has a potentially serious foot injury and is seeking a second opinion, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. For now, Brown’s availability appears to be week to week, but if the injury is determined to be significant, he could end up on the IR list.
The Dolphins aren’t happy about starting the season with a 1-3 record, or having to make coaching changes, but football czar Mike Tannenbaum tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that he likes the team’s roster.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Golson, Boykin

August 3rd, 2015 at 7:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC North..

Steelers rookie cornerback Senquez Golson may require season-ending shoulder surgery, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Golson’s injury might explain the Steelers’ pursuit and acquisition of cornerback Brandon Boykin over the weekend. The second-round pick out of Ole Miss opened up camp on the PUP list and now it appears that his NFL debut may have to wait until 2016.
Boykin should give the Steelers additional options in the secondary, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Boykin not only is a viable candidate to contribute at corner, he also might be a Week 1 starter. Boykin played in all 48 games since being drafted by the Eagles in 2012, but he became expendable when they signed Byron Maxwell to a lucrative deal in the offseason, signed veteran Walter Thurmond, and drafted three cornerbacks.
Browns receivers coach Joker Phillips says Terrelle Pryor, who is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, has made a good first impression on coaches. “It’s hard to say right now,” Phillips said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. “I’m not going to put that kind of pressure on him or myself. I can tell you this, he’s very, very — and I’ll say it two times — very, very talented. There’s no question about that. The guy’s talented, and talent wins ball games. Now, we’ve got to challenge that talent with the techniques that we have and give him a chance to be successful out wide.”

Eagles Notes: Boykin, Kelly, Shepherd

August 3rd, 2015 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

Brandon Boykin, who was traded from the Eagles to the Steelers late last week, made some comments on Sunday that seemed to echo criticism of other ex-Eagles players, who have said that Chip Kelly harbors some type of racial bias. Boykin later clarified those, comments, however, telling Judy Battista of NFL.com (Twitter links) that Kelly just has a hard time relating to players overall.

Of course, Boykin’s comments quickly became the focus for Eagles beat writers. Quarterback Mark Sanchez made it clear that he’s tired of answering the same old questions, as Tucker Bagley of Philadelphia Magazine writes.

“[During stretching today], guys were like, ‘Sanchez, ain’t you Mexican? And [Sam] Bradford aren’t you Native American?‘” Sanchez said. “And Kiko [Alonso] is Colombian. We’ve got black guys, white guys, Polynesian guys. Come on, that’s crazy,” Sanchez said.

Malcolm Jenkins, meanwhile, told reporters that Kelly just “likes uniformity, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” That quest for uniformity, he says, has been misinterpreted by some as something different. Here’s more on the Eagles..

Boykin was stunned by the trade, a source close to the player told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Boykin loved being with the Eagles, but he also wanted a shot at the outside cornerback spot. The 5’9″ corner felt that Kelly never gave him that opportunity and Kelly never took the time to explain to him why he wouldn’t be getting it.
Jesse Dougherty of the Philadelphia Inquirer looked at the Eagles’ internal options for replacing Boykin, including rookie JaCorey Shepherd.
Eagles coach Chip Kelly says that he’s optimistic that guard John Moffit can turn his life around, on and off the field, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We spent a lot of time figuring out what he’s all about. We felt comfortable, and we are hopeful that he has turned the corner and he’s got an opportunity. Really, the ball is in his court,” Kelly said. The 28-year-old abruptly left the Broncos in 2013 after losing interest in the game and had legal and drug problems during his time away from football.

East Notes: Cowboys, Kelly, Mathis

August 2nd, 2015 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Parks

Jeremy Mincey is expected to end his holdout pending a meeting with Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones and head coach Jason Garrett today, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Per Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News, Mincey arrived in Oxnard on Saturday night and will discuss a new two-year deal with the club. If the two sides strike a deal, Mincey can join his teammates later today for the fourth day of training camp practices.

Now let’s take a look at some more links from the league’s east divisions:

The Cowboys will be on the lookout for more linebacker depth, as Justin Jackson tore his ACL in a special teams walkthrough (Twitter link to ESPN’s Todd Archer).
Brandon Boykin, who was dealt from the Eagles to the Steelers last night, is the latest to take a racially-related jab at Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. Per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, Boykin said Kelly is “uncomfortable around grown men of our culture…He can’t relate and that makes him uncomfortable. Players excel when you let them naturally be who they are, and in my experience that hasn’t been important to him, but you guys have heard this before me.” Former Eagles LeSean McCoy and Tra Thomas have made similar comments about Kelly in the past, and although there is plenty of evidence to suggest that sentiments like those expressed by Boykin are a bit misguided, it will be interesting to see what, if any, impact this will have on Kelly’s control of his locker room.
Mychal Kendricks, who was rumored to be on the trading block, will likely remain with the Eagles as an insurance policy for DeMeco Ryans, according to Andy Schwartz of CSNPhilly.com.
Citing GM Jerry Reese, Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News tweets that Giants left tackle Will Beatty will return at some point this season, and the team has not closed the door on free agent tackle Jake Long.
The Jets, who have a hole at right guard, have spoken with free agent Evan Mathis, per Justin Tasch of The New York Daily News. However, Mathis’ asking price appears to be out of New York’s range at the moment.
We learned several days ago that Jets rookie wideout Devin Smith suffered broken ribs in Friday’s practice, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com reports that Smith also has a partially punctured lung. Smith will be sidelined for four to six weeks.
Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets that Bills head coach Rex Ryan has declared Richie Incognito the team’s starting left guard and Cordy Glenn the team’s starting left tackle.

Steelers Acquire Brandon Boykin From Eagles

August 2nd, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

SUNDAY, 10:49am: Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the conditional fifth-round pick will become a fourth-rounder if Boykin plays 60% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps.

McLane’s colleague at the Inquirer, Zach Berman, tweets that the Eagles also received a trade offer for Nolan Carroll, but the team viewed Boykin as more expendable.

SATURDAY, 7:02pm: The Eagles have sent cornerback Brandon Boykin to Pittsburgh, trading him for a conditional 2016 fifth-round pick, the Steelers announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), that pick could become a fourth-rounder, depending on how much Boykin plays this season.

Boykin, who turned 25 on Thursday, had played in all 48 of the Eagles’ regular-season games since Philadelphia selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. However, he only started six of those games, and said a couple months ago that he would welcome the opportunity to start outside, suggesting that the chance to compete for a starting job would be a priority when he reaches free agency.

It’s not clear yet whether Boykin will get the chance to start in Pittsburgh — William Gay figures to be the team’s top cornerback, but Cortez Allen struggled last year after signing a long-term extension. Still, I expect both players will see the field more often than Boykin. Antwon Blake and rookie Senquez Golson will also be in the mix for the Steelers, though Golson is still recovering from a shoulder injury.

From the Eagles’ perspective, Boykin had been a player the team considered moving for months, according to multiple reports. The signing of Byron Maxwell in March ensured Boykin would continue to play a complementary role in Philadelphia, and after the club added three more corners in the draft, he became even more expendable.

The Eagles did well do get a pick as high as a fourth-rounder for Boykin, since he wasn’t expected to be a major contributor in 2015 and is entering the final year of his contract. Tthe Georgia product will count for $1.542MM against the Steelers’ cap this year before becoming eligible for free agency in the winter.

East Notes: Welker, Eagles, Boykin, JPP

June 2nd, 2015 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, free agent wideout Wes Welker told Toucher and Rich of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston that he wants to continue his playing career, and wouldn’t be opposed to rejoining the Patriots.

Examining potential fits for Welker, Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) agrees that perhaps New England could be a match, though he gets the sense that it’s unlikely to happen. Yates also identifies the Ravens and Texans as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….

Two Eagles players who were the subject of trade rumors in Philadelphia this offseason addressed those rumors recently. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the quotes from defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, while Mark Eckel of NJ.com passes along linebacker Mychal Kendricks‘ thoughts on the matter. Kendricks said he expects to still be on Philadelphia’s roster by the time the season gets underway, but admitted there haven’t been any extension talks with the team.
Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin is expecting to continue to play in the slot this season rather than getting a chance to start on the outside, and says that story is “getting real old,” writes McLane in a separate Inquirer piece. As Zach Berman of the Inquirer tweets, Boykin says if he plays well in his contract year, he expects he’ll get the chance to play a bigger role when free agency hits.
Cameron Jordan and Jason Pierre-Paul aren’t entirely comparable, but Jordan’s new five-year, $55MM contract (worth up to $60MM) could have an impact on JPP’s negotiations with the Giants, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Bennett, Collins, Boone

May 1st, 2015 at 11:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from the NFC as Friday comes to a close:

Eagles coach and football czar Chip Kelly said he hasn’t received any calls regarding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles have been shopping the three-year veteran, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week.
In other Eagles linebacker news, one scout called their selection of Texas’ Jordan Hicks in the third round (84th overall) a “stupid pick,” per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. However, the Bengals would’ve taken him with the next pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Further, Kelly says the Eagles had a second-round grade on Hicks and saw him more than any other prospect prior to the draft, reports the Inquirer’s Zach Berman (via Twitter).
Despite all the recent rumors surrounding his team, Kelly claims he hasn’t talked to anyone during the draft about trading players, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter). What’s more, Kelly had to call multiple players recently to tell them that they weren’t trade bait, per USA Today’s Lindsay Jones (Twitter link). Mosher reports (Twitter link) that Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin did not receive calls, while defensive end Vinny Curry did.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace says tight end Martellus Bennett has not requested a trade, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). However, Biggs notes that Bennett might want more money. Bennett, who amassed 90 catches and six touchdowns in 2014, has two years left on his contract, but no guaranteed money left. He was said earlier this week to be on the trade block.
Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team hasn’t taken LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins off its board, per Sean Fazende of Fox 8 (Twitter link). On the possibility of using a seventh-round pick on Collins, Payton went on to state, “I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we get more clarity.” Collins, whom Baton Rouge police wish to question regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend, has seen his draft stock drop precipitously in recent days, and may not sign with a team that drafts him tomorrow.
General manager Trent Baalke says the 49ers haven’t spoken with guard Alex Boone or his agent, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, who is entering the final year of his contract, will skip all voluntary offseason activities. Baalke referred to that as a “non-issue.”
Before the Rams swung a deal Friday to swap second-round picks with the Panthers (going from 41st to 57th) and acquire a pair of other selections, St. Louis had discussions with five other teams, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link), who says the team was willing to move down so far in the second round in order to pick up a third-round pick. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams were comfortable moving down because they felt they’d still be able to get one of the offensive linemen they liked, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). That proved true, as they ultimately took Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein.
Trading up could be a possibility Saturday for the Cardinals. Their general manager, Steve Keim, mentioned the possibility twice Friday, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
The Cowboys would be comfortable taking a running back in the fourth round, tweets Rapoport.

Details On Eagles’ Proposed Trade Package

April 30th, 2015 at 7:05pm CST by Luke Adams

According to multiple reports, the Eagles have been most aggressive in their efforts to move up to the top of the draft to land quarterback Marcus Mariota, having had discussions with both the Titans at No. 2 and the Buccaneers at No. 1. Now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has details on what Chip Kelly and the Eagles are offering to move up from No. 20.

According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Philadelphia’s proposed package would include two first-round picks (including this year’s), a third-round pick, defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, cornerback Brandon Boykin, linebacker Mychal Kendricks, and more. Rapoport adds that Sam Bradford has also been included in the Eagles’ offers (Twitter link).

Rapoport’s report on the Eagles’ proposal backs up Jason La Canfora’s tweet that Philadelphia’s offer is “substantial.” According to La Canfora, the Browns remain willing to include both their first-round picks in an offer to the Titans, but Cleveland likely won’t come close to trumping the Eagles’ offer (Twitter links).

For now, at least, the Titans and Buccaneers both appear inclined to stay put.