When it comes to the passing game, the Pittsburgh Steelers has one of the better attacks in the league. They also feature a defense that has no solutions in this area.
While the Carolina Panthers’ decision to rescind the franchise tag from All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman a few weeks ago caught a lot of people by surprise, general manager Dave Gettleman’s latest move was pretty eye-opening as well.
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Prior to the Norman situation, the defending NFC champions added veteran cornerback Brandon Boykin. The talented performer began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles but in 2015 was dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It took him a bit to make an impact with the club but once his playing time increased it was evident that he was a positive addition to the club.
This offseason, the Steelers didn’t go out of their way to bring back to crafty defender and he signed with Carolina. Now midway through the month of May, Boykin is once again available following his release by the Panthers.
It was a somewhat confusing move, at least to the four-year pro (as he demonstrated on Twitter). Of course, the Panthers did add three cornerbacks in April’s draft in James Bradberry (2-Samford), Daryl Worley (3-West Virginia) and Zack Sanchez (5-Oklahoma).
“Those three guys really have an opportunity to impact us this year,’’ said Ron Rivera this past weekend to David Newton of ESPN. And apparently the head coach and the team have no immediate plans to bring in a more experienced player at the positon.
“If we did do something it would be later on, but right now we’re set,’’ said the Panthers’ head coach. “We’re happy with what we’ve seen the last two practices with the young guys.’’
That being said, what about Boykin? Is it possible he could be headed back to the Steel City? Like Carolina, the Steelers addressed the secondary in the draft, adding University of Miami product Artie Burns. It marked the first time in nearly two decades (1997) that the franchise had used a first-round pick on a cornerback (Maryland’s Chad Scott).
You will recall that Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert added a pair of corners in the 2015 draft in second-rounder Senquez Golson and Doran Grant. Neither saw the field as rookies and are being counted on to contribute this year.
As for Boykin, he and one-time Buffalo Bills draft choice Ross Cockrell were Pittsburgh’s best cornerbacks this past season (via Pro Football Focus), although the latter saw considerably more playing time.
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We are talking about a defensive unit that allowed the third-most passing yards in the league and surrendered 29 scores through the air. All this with the help of a pass rush that produced 48 sacks. Perplexing indeed.
Veteran William Gay also enjoyed a solid season but head coach Mike Tomlin really needs some of these young players to step up.
In four seasons in the league, Boykin has yet to miss a game. With the Steelers this past year, he finished with 25 tackles, one sack, one interception, one fumble recovery and five passes defensed. He added six stops and knocked down a pass in the club’s playoff split with the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos.
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Will Colbert, Tomlin and the club opt to bring back Boykin. It would be a wise decision given the overall lack of experience at the position.