http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/9605551-74/boykin-lake-defensive#axzz3ty8aR3h9 

By Mark Kaboly

For weeks, Brandon Boykin was saying that all he needed was an opportunity, and when that opportunity presented itself, he was “1,000 percent sure that I am going to do what I have been doing the past three or four years of my career.”

Who knew the key to that opportunity ultimately was held by defensive backs coach Carnell Lake — with, of course, coach Mike Tomlin signing off on it?

Lake said Thursday, as the Steelers prepared for Sunday’s key AFC North game against the Cincinnati Bengals, that he was the one who thought it was “about time” to give Boykin more playing time.

Or, in this case, any playing time at all.

After Boykin, a player the Steelers traded a conditional fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for in training camp, made the “1,000 percent” proclamation in late October, he didn’t take a defensive snap over the next four games until Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

“To be honest with you, I just thought it was about time, and Coach Tomlin agreed,” Lake said. “We made the change to help the unit out and give the unit some energy and provide productivity in the end, and that’s what happened. I thought it was time, and we got the changes made.”

The Steelers reduced first-year starter Antwon Blake’s playing time by nearly a half and inserted Boykin into the slot, where he played 40 of the final 52 snaps against the Colts on Sunday and came up with a key interception and pass breakup.

That rotation will stay intact Sunday against a much more dynamic Cincinnati offense highlighted by receivers A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu and tight end Tyler Eifert.

“I liked it, I think it helps us,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “Our guys were getting worn out this time of year. We played a lot of football games, including five preseason games. Those guys have never played that many snaps in a season.”

Lake said the reason he didn’t pull the trigger earlier with Boykin and Blake was a matter of his coaching philosophy, even if the Steelers allowed three consecutive 300-yard passing games.

“I don’t like to do knee-jerk reactions, especially when I have young guys and they are trying to learn,” Lake said. “You have to give them the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from it and grow. If you shuffle the deck all the time, then it doesn’t allow for that or breaks down the player’s confidence.”

But with Blake struggling with his tackling (he leads NFL cornerbacks with 23 missed tackles, eight more than the next highest) and giving up splash plays, Lake knew it was time to alter things. Plus, it gave Blake more of a chance to focus on special teams.

“I remember my first year starting,” Lake said. “It was a lot. You get over the hump, but your productivity slides a little bit, so I wanted to make sure before it became a real problem that we could do something about it.”

Still, the situation is fluid. While Boykin played well against the Colts, he’s sure to be tested in a number of ways by the Bengals, including the running game. Cincinnati’s power back is Jeremy Hill, who has 588 yards and eight touchdowns.

“Every player on their defense is going to have their spots, and they are going to have to stand up and buck up and handle their business,” Lake said. “Each player comes with something he has to deal with. Boykin has his, just like the rest of the guys, and we are going to have to address those issues and (make sure) they get the job done.”

Boykin, one of the smaller corners in the league at 5-foot-10, 182 pounds, scoffed at the notion he can’t stand up to the run game even though he mentioned teams trying to run at him at times.

Boykin had 112 tackles in three years with the Eagles, including 102 solo while playing the majority of his plays as the slot corner.

“It’s never been a problem,” Boykin said. “I missed a tackle last game, but I missed like four or five tackles in my career. Anytime you have a defensive back in the run position, they are going to use that to see if you can tackle. Once they see that you can tackle, they don’t mess with it.”

IT’S BUMBLEBEE WEEK!!!

 

 

 

Read More “Which was the more awesome catch?”

Serious question. Why are we doing it? I was going to post this last week after the decision was announced. However, the last preseason game was that night and roster cuts were keeping most of us occupied. But, now that the roster is “final”, or as final as it can be, I’m sure many people will turn back to hand wringing over Brady. I just don’t understand it.

People will make the argument that Brady and the Patriots have a long history of bending the rules where they thought they could get away with it and this is just another example.

Fans will make the argument that the Patriots’ dramatically improved turnover statistics post 2006 (Warren Sharp’s May ’15 debunking of his attempted debunkers), Brady’s own personal fumble rates after the rule change, text messages between Jastremski & McNally and those between Jastremski & Brady, the balls being taken without permission into the bathroom by McNally, Jastremski & McNally being fired while the team maintains that they did nothing wrong, Brady destroying his phone at his lawyer’s behest and Brady’s reluctance to implicate himself in the investigation are clear “proof” that “something” was going on.

People will insist that because <<insert player’s name here>> was suspended for something that did less to impact the integrity of the game, that Brady should absolutely get the book thrown at him and that everyone, New England fans and the media included, should all collectively say, “Shame On You, Tom Brady“.  Or that because <<insert player’s name here>> was suspended for “probably” having done something that Brady should be too. That the precedent was set.

I say, so what?

Look, you’re getting your way. It just isn’t coming exactly the way you want it to come. The court of public opinion rendered it’s decision a while ago and has adjourned court. As has been pointed out to me by a Pats fan no less, the burden of proof for common sense is lower than the one for legal purposes, even in civil proceedings.  That standard was met long ago and most sports fans have already decided that Brady was involved, obstructed the investigation and that had he turned over his emails and text messages, the picture would be very clear.

People have listened to your arguments about Brady, Belichick, Dougie Spoons McNally, et al and they already believe you. Let it go.

Face it: Hypothetically speaking, Tom Brady could be caught driving down the road with a dead hooker in his trunk while beating his children and Patriots fans would still make excuses for him and cry in disbelief.  Stop trying to convince them. You have better things to do with your time. Their agreement with your point of view doesn’t matter. Brady’s reputation is ruined anyway.

As I pointed out in June, from now until the end of time, every time that the Patriots of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are brought up anywhere, anytime, cheating will be a part of the conversation. 

You have already won.
Let it go.
You got what you wanted and as an added bonus, Roger Goodell has been made to look like a horse’s ass, once again, by the NFLPA in court. See? It’s not so bad.

Besides, based on their comments, the Steelers players, to a man, all want Brady to play and have all along. Mike Tomlin seems indifferent, but definitely wants to stop answering questions about it and concentrate solely on 2015.

Do all of you have valid arguments about why Brady should be punished? Maybe. But he is being punished, so it doesn’t matter. His reputation has been given a stain that will never wash out. His endorsement opportunities will take a nose dive as quickly as his likeability has, maybe faster.

Let me take a quick moment to remind you that what Judge Berman ruled on were NFL procedures only. He said the NFL could not punish Brady for non-cooperation or “general awareness” of anything without warning the NFLPA first.

Nowhere in Berman’s decision does he mention inflation, deflation, PSI, guilt, innocence or anything having to do with the original accusation that Brady was involved in a scheme to make footballs easier to handle during the course of a game by exceeding the lower threshold set for a game ball’s PSI.

In short, what Berman did was say that the NFL was wrong, not that Brady was right nor that he is innocent. Despite some grave dancing Patriots fans’ points of view, this accusation is not dead. Unfortunately. Far from it. The NFL will appeal and this circus will go on, possibly for years.

The NFL mishandled this thing almost from the jump. Tom Brady got bad advice and followed it; almost from the jump. The parties most affected by this? NFL fans who have invested and continue to invest energy into it.

I echo Mike Tomlin’s sentiments, “It’s too bad we have to carry last year’s garbage into this season.”

This year brings back memories of Chuck Noll and this quote:

“Cutting won’t be a problem. Stopping will.”

You have to cut 22 players. Bell & Bryant will be suspended, so you’re down to 20. One of the punters is gone. Pick one and you’re down to 19. Pouncey has to be on the roster for one day, so he counts. CFT still sucks almost as much as NASCAR, but he’ll probably make the team.

Hopefully someone better than Grad + Landry will become available from a training camp cut by the August 25 or September 4 cut down dates. Here is the current depth chart across the NFL.

Team	No	Player 1	No	Player 2	No	Player 3	No	Player 4
AFC East
	16	Matt Cassel	5	Tyrod Taylor	3	EJ Manuel	8	Matt Simms
	17	Ryan Tannehill	8	Matt Moore	5	Josh Freeman	16	McLeod Bethel-Thompson
	12	Tom Brady	10	Jimmy Garoppolo	7	Ryan Lindley
	14	Ryan Fitzpatrick	9	Bryce Petty	3	Jake Heaps	7	Geno Smith
AFC North
	5	Joe Flacco	8	Matt Schaub	9	Bryn Renner
	14	Andy Dalton	5	A.J. McCarron	8	Josh Johnson	10	Keith Wenning
	13	Josh McCown	2	Johnny Manziel	3	Thaddeus Lewis
	7	Ben Roethlisberger	5	Bruce Gradkowski	3	Landry Jones	2	Tajh Boyd
AFC South
	7	Brian Hoyer	15	Ryan Mallett	3	Tom Savage
	12	Andrew Luck	8	Matt Hasselbeck	7	Bryan Bennett
	5	Blake Bortles	7	Chad Henne	6	Stephen Morris	9	Jeff Tuel
	8	Marcus Mariota	7	Zach Mettenberger	12	Charlie Whitehurst	11	Alex Tanney
AFC West
	18	Peyton Manning	17	Brock Osweiler	2	Zac Dysert	3	Trevor Siemian
	11	Alex Smith	10	Chase Daniel	7	Aaron Murray
	4	Derek Carr	9	Christian Ponder	14	Matt McGloin	8	Cody Fajardo
	17	Philip Rivers	10	Kellen Clemens	4	Brad Sorensen	16	Chase Rettig
NFC East
	9	Tony Romo	3	Brandon Weeden	10	Dustin Vaughan	7	Jameill Showers
	10	Eli Manning	9	Ryan Nassib	2	Ricky Stanzi
	7	Sam Bradford	3	Mark Sanchez	2	Matt Barkley	11	Tim Tebow
	10	Robert Griffin	8	Kirk Cousins	16	Colt McCoy
NFC North
	6	Jay Cutler	8	Jimmy Clausen	15	Shane Carden
	9	Matthew Stafford	8	Dan Orlovsky	17	Kellen Moore	14	Garrett Gilbert
	12	Aaron Rodgers	16	Scott Tolzien	6	Matt Blanchard	7	Brett Hundley
	5	Teddy Bridgewater	13	Shaun Hill	16	Taylor Heinicke	4	Mike Kafka
NFC South
	2	Matt Ryan	13	T.J. Yates	12	Sean Renfree
	1	Cam Newton	3	Derek Anderson	14	Joe Webb
	9	Drew Brees	7	Luke McCown	4	Ryan Griffin	18	Garrett Grayson
	3	Jameis Winston	8	Mike Glennon	4	Seth Lobato
NFC West
	3	Carson Palmer	5	Drew Stanton	6	Logan Thomas	1	Phillip Sims
	7	Colin Kaepernick	2	Blaine Gabbert	13	Dylan Thompson
	3	Russell Wilson	7	Tarvaris Jackson	6	R.J. Archer
	5	Nick Foles	17	Case Keenum	9	Austin Davis	14	Sean Mannion

Antonio Brown wants a new deal because he’s outperformed the one he currently has 3 years left on. The Steelers, on the other hand, have no incentive to give a new deal to a player they took a chance on three years ago by rewarding him with a huge extension they had no urgency to give him at that time.

There are arguments for and against extending him.

Against because it sets a bad precedent for extending guys early by encouraging others to attempt renegotiation if they feel they have outperformed their deal. There is also a growing sense that the proliferation of pro ready WRs that have hit the league the past couple of drafts is a trend that will continue, thus making WRs a fungible commodity and diminishing the value of the position as a whole.

I was in the “no way you give AB a new deal until March 2017” camp until recently. Although I don’t feel strongly, I do think it may be a good business move to go ahead and do it now or by next Spring at the latest, taking advantage of the ability to both dictate terms and spread the signing bonus over the remainder of the existing deal. Here’s why:

First and foremost, AB is a special football player. He is that rare blend of great athleticism and drive that will not only maximize his own abilities but push the qualities of the players around him. Guys like AB are valuable because they lead by example. Yes, he has a little diva in him, but he’s a WR. Every one of those guys does! I think the Steelers recognized these qualities in AB when they gave him the contract he signed in 2012. I don’t believe they saw much risk in it at all and, Limas Sweed notwithstanding, as with most of the WR decisions the past several years they were correct.

Second, a quick look at the free agent WRs coming available in 2016 and 2017 netted me a list of players who will all receive as much or more than AB currently averages on a deal that currently pays him as the 13th highest paid WR (Avg Yearly Salary): AJ Green, Julio Jones, Malcolm Floyd, Andre Caldwell, Brian Quick, Pierre Garcon, Emmanuel Sanders, Cordarrelle Patterson, Justin Hunter, Terrance Williams, Keenan Allen.

I’m sure there are guys I’ve overlooked as I invested about 30 seconds and came up with a whole slew of names.

Waiting to redo AB’s deal is just going to make signing him more expensive later.

Third, the Steelers are in a fantastic negotiating position right now. As has been pointed out they have him under contract through 2017 and can franchise him afterward if they are so inclined. Sitting down with Drew Rosenhaus between now and the beginning of the 2016 season and hammering out a deal doesn’t give AB and his reps much leverage. AB can hold out, but he has to show up by the Tuesday after the week 10 game to get credit for a year of service. Doing so in 2016 and 2017 not only does nothing to build his brand but also does not satiate his need to perform on the big stage and show his “greatness”, two factors that I genuinely believe drive AB.

The Steelers can, in effect, make a take it or leave it offer that is far less expensive than the one they’ll have to make to extend him in March 2017. AB also will not be able to say that the team was unwilling to negotiate with him, which hopefully will soften any stance he or his representatives want to take with regard to a hold out.

Last, my friend Copa makes an argument that I find compelling even If I don’t feel as strongly as he does about it.

“…what message will be sent? That if you are a HOF caliber player with a HOF work ethic, HOF attitude, leadership, team focus, and consistent league leading results, and if unusual circumstances warrant it, the team will have your back. Heck, that’s the kind of “problem” you should want to foster and encourage. This is not the same as capitulating to a diva holdout player. Good receivers are fungible. Great team players and leaders are not.”

I would offer AB a 2 year extension worth $32M TODAY. I would give him $8 million to sign and give the Steelers two additional years at what are likely to be below market rates in 2018 and 2019 and also giving the team the option of cutting him if necessary as soon as 2017. It would be a take it or leave it proposition that allowed AB to say he got a new deal worth $16 million per year. The reality would be that the Steelers got two more years out of AB at below market rates and that they would probably have to do this dance again in 2018. However, at the point the market landscape could have changed a great deal for previously mentioned and unforseen reasons.

The offer would look like this:

Current Deal:
		Bonuses				Cap
Year	Base Salary	Prorated	Roster	Workout	Other	Number
2015	$6,000,000	$3,787,500	$0	$0	$0	$9,787,500
2016	$8,250,000	$3,787,500	$0	$0	$0	$12,037,500
2017	$8,710,000	$2,087,500	$0	$0	$0	$10,797,500
New Deal with Extension (2 yrs $32M, $8M signing):
		Bonuses				Cap
Year	Base Salary	Prorated	Roster	Workout	Other	Number
2015	$6,000,000	$5,387,500	$0	$0	$0	$9,787,500
2016	$8,250,000	$5,387,500	$0	$0	$0	$12,037,500
2017	$8,710,000	$3,687,500	$0	$0	$0	$10,797,500
2018	$10,500,000	$1,600,000	$0	$1,000,000	$0	$13,100,000
2019	$11,500,000	$1,600,000	$0	$1,000,000	$0	$14,100,000

I’m not saying AB would take it, but you know the saying about a bird in the hand……

Please tell me what you think in the comments below. Please attempt to do so without calling me or anyone else anything insulting. Well, at least not anyone else.