It’s no secret that Chip Kelly isn’t a big fan of the players Andy Reid brought to the Philadelphia Eagles. He once again proved this to be true by sending cornerback Brandon Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade on Saturday.
The move was announced by the Steelers, and the Eagles received a conditional 5th-round pick in 2016 for sending Boykin to Pittsburgh.
We have traded with the Eagles for CB Brandon Boykin in exchange for a conditional 5th-Rd pick in the 2016 Draft. pic.twitter.com/aYWt5nHuj8
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 1, 2015
The move is, on paper, a win-win for everyone involved.
Pittsburgh’s secondary is significantly depleted and needs both talent and depth at the cornerback position. Boykin has shown intriguing promise in his first three seasons, and his 2013 campaign (six interceptions) opened up a lot of eyes to his potential.
But he never did break through as a starter with the Eagles, much to his chagrin.
“It’s two years running with this story and it’s getting real old for me,” Boykin said about being the No. 3 cornerback in Philadelphia, back in early June (h/t Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News). “And I’m just going to continue to be the best slot in the NFL.”
Kelly can’t stand players who don’t completely, 1,000 percent buy into his system, so this is a huge win for him. Now, he doesn’t need to read about how unhappy Boykin is, and he can use the draft pick received to bring in a player who does buy into the Chip Kelly way.
It’s simply stunning to continue watching former Andy Reid people getting booted off the team, ceremoniously or otherwise. Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com has been keeping track of this staggering trend, and by his count this is the 10th player to leave the Eagles this year who were formerly brought in by Reid.
Brandon Boykin is now the 10th old Andy Reid player to have moved on from the Eagles this offseason. pic.twitter.com/3b39kgOlZg
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) August 2, 2015
Kelly has a bold vision for the Eagles franchise. Players that don’t buy into the vision are summarily jettisoned, regardless of their former stature within Reid’s power structure.
With a huge chip on his shoulder, don’t be surprised if Boykin isn’t thrilled with the trade and has a tremendous season with his new team, just 300 miles to the west.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke