Atlanta Falcons: Why did they pass on Boykin?

On Wednesday, May 25, the Atlanta Falcons passed on signing free agent Brandon Boykin. What sparked this decision?

The Atlanta Falcons decision to pass on cornerback Brandon Boykin may have come as a bit of a surprise. Just this past Monday, May 23, Boykin was reported to have had a strong workout with the team.

Boykin, a former Georgia football player, has played for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just recently, he was released by the Carolina Panthers on May 17th and is now a free agent.

Boykin has previously shown interest in the Atlanta Falcons. Head Coach Dan Quinn has been looking to make some changes this offseason, especially concerning the defense. Quinn was supposedly “impressed” with Boykin’s workout. So then why exactly did the Falcons pass on signing him?

Basically, now is just not the time for the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have several players lined up for the cornerback position due to the uncertainty of Jalen Collins.

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Though they have options, Atlanta is looking to add more depth at the position of cornerback. Did they not see enough in Boykin?

After violating performance-enhancing substances policy his rookie season, second-year cornerback Jalen Collins has been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season.

There are two projected starting cornerbacks for the Atlanta Falcons. Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford could become starters this season, along with the possibility of Akeem King and DeMarcus Van Dyke.

Clearly there is a need at cornerback but also a lot of uncertainty at this time. The Falcons didn’t address this position in the 2016 NFL Draft, either.

There had also been some speculation as to whether or not Boykin was 100 percent healthy. At one point he was believed to have hip issues, though it has been reported that he is fine.

However, the Falcons insist that the decision not to sign him was based purely from a football aspect, and had nothing to do with anything else.

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If that’s the case, did the Falcons simply not see Boykin as an asset to the team? Will the Falcons continue to search for a cornerback, or will they work with what they’ve got?