Eagles trade popular corner Brandon Boykin to Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a trade Saturday evening as cornerback Brandon Boykin was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2016 Draft.

One area that is still pretty thin for the Pittsburgh Steelers is the secondary, most notably the cornerback position. Boykin probably would have left Philadelphia in free agency after this season.

Boykin, 25, was drafted originally by the Eagles in the fourth-round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Georgia.

The Eagles were adamant on keeping Boykin in the slot, while he aspired to move outside. The Eagles front office did well in this transaction to receive something for a player soon to be departing anyway. He led the Eagles with six interceptions in 2013.

A divorce between the Eagles and Boykin was a longtime coming, as the cornerback has been very vocal in his displeasure with not being given a chance to start on the outside.

The Eagles had an excess of corners, with big-money addition Byron Maxwell, veteran Nolan Carroll and four rookies. “Always got love for you”.