http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25256985/eagles-trade-cb-brandon-boykin-to-steelers
Secondary upgrade addresses Steelers need: The Steelers had one of the NFL's worst pass defenses last season, as they ranked 23rd in completion percentage allowed, 27th in passing yards allowed per game, 28th in yards per pass allowed, passing touchdowns allowed and opponents' passer rating and 30th in Football Outsiders' passing defense DVOA.
Pittsburgh drafted Senquez Golson and Doran Grant, but those were the only significant imports made at the position. Incumbents Cortez Allen – who struggled badly in the first season of a four-year, $24.6 million contract – and William Gay returned, but neither of them was very successful in coverage last season.
Boykin will likely be the best corner on the Steelers from the moment he hits the roster.
Low-cost acquisition, but what will it cost to keep Boykin? Boykin is the seventh player to be traded for a fifth-round pick this offseason, following Brandon Marshall, Mike Wallace, Ben Grubbs, Jeremy Zuttah, Jonathan Casillas and George Johnson. All but one of those players is at least 29 years old, though, and Boykin is still just 25. He likely has more room to grow than any of them, and he's already near the top of the list (with Marshall and Wallace) in terms of pure football talent. The Steelers got themselves a very nice deal here, provided they can lock Boykin up long-term at a reasonable price.
By way of reference, Harris – the only slot-heavy corner to allow a lower QB rating than Boykin over the last two seasons – signed a five-year, $42.5 million contract that contained $24 million in guarantees and a $10 million signing bonus. That deal was widely viewed as a great one for the Broncos, but it's doubtful Boykin earns a contract as large as Harris, who has already shown the ability to play all over the field that Boykin wants to show off.
Skrine, meanwhile, signed a four-year, $25 million contract with the Jets that contained $13 million guaranteed and a $5 milllion signing bonus. Boykin has largely outperformed Skrine during their careers thus far, so a deal somewhere north of that would probably make sense, based purely on performance.
However, if you judge Boykin's value by the fact that he was just dealt away for a conditional fifth-round draft choice, it seems probable he won't be getting a deal larger than Skrine's before this season starts. If he has another season like his last two, though, he could garner himself an even bigger payday.
