Even though he didn’t become a defensive regular until late in the season, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin is open to playing for the team that traded for him last year during training camp.
“At the end, the organization said they appreciated how I went about it, being a pro, not really talking about it,” Boykin said, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. “I don’t have any hard feelings toward Pittsburgh. Absolutely, under the right circumstances, for sure [I’d return].”
Really, what else would you expect Boykin say at this point? Ruling out a return would be foolish and not in his best interest with just a few weeks left until the start of the new league year.
So, what are the right circumstances for a return to Pittsburgh in 2016? In the case of Boykin, who is set to hit free agency for the first time since he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, it’s all about the money and you cant blame him one bit for that.
While the Steelers might very well want Boykin back in 2016 as well, the odds of that actually happening aren’t very good and especially if they don’t re-sign him prior to the start of free agency. As I mentioned in a post the other day, Boykin might very well wind up being the best available slot cormnerback available in free agency this offseason. Additionally, his value will also increase if teams believe he can actually play full-time on the outside.
It would be in Boykin’s best interest to test free agency if he’s not blown away by any offer that the Steelers might give him. In other words, he’s unlikely to get the right circumstances from Pittsburgh.
