Philadelphia Eagles head coach and head of player personnel Chip Kelly isn't done gutting his team's roster in his first year as its chief decision maker. Philadelphia traded young cornerback Brandon Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
Boykin, 25, had long been considered to be on the trade block. Though, nabbing a fifth (with a potential to turn into a fourth based on playing time) wasn't exactly top value for the dynamic cornerback.
The former fourth-round pick out of Georgia recorded 41 tackles, nine passes defended and an interception in 16 games (zero starts) last season. He allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete just 54 percent of the passes thrown in his direction, and finished as a top-25 cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus metrics.
Now on Pittsburgh, Boykin promises to see a ton of playing time. At 5-foot-9, Philadelphia had held back from playing the corner on the outside, but the Steelers pressure-heavy scheme might actually enable the team to do just that. Boykin is one of the best in the NFL at jumping the route—something that is best utilized on the outside rather than in the slot. If so, that could maximize his talents and lead to more interceptions.
In terms of fantasy, this could make Boykin a decent IDP play. With more targets and a larger overall role on defense, his ball-hawking mentality should lead to more forced turnovers and tackles—two things that are huge in the IDP world.