The Philadelphia Eagles made a controversial move on Saturday evening by shipping away Brandon Boykin in exchange for a conditional fifth round pick. The reaction to the deal drew mixed reviews.
Now there's been some time to rationally react, here are some pros and cons to the trade.
PROS
• It wasn't a secret that Brandon Boykin wasn't in the long-term plans. That the team decided to get a draft pick for him instead of letting him walk for nothing in free agency could be considered a positive.
• A conditional fifth round pick (that has the potential to turn into a fourth) is arguably decent value for a player in the last year of their rookie contract.
• This move clears up playing time for young cornerbacks such as JaCorey Shepherd, Randall Evans, and potentially Eric Rowe if someone else plays on the inside and he starts on the outside.
CONS
• There are more cons than are pros.
• The Eagles didn't need to trade Boykin. With the team seemingly planning to contend this year, he would have at least been valuable in his nickel role. Or the Eagles should have really just given him a real shot to start on the outside, as we've written before. He was one of Philadelphia's best corner covers, if not their best.
• Boykin was a really good gunner on punt coverage. Losing him hurts the special teams unit.
• Getting a conditional fifth round pick isn't terrible, but it's far from a slam dunk.
• Sentimental value: Boykin was a fun player to watch and an easy guy to cheer for.
• Losing Boykin hurt's the team's cornerback depth. He was a proven commodity at a spot where the Eagles have struggled in past seasons.
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Now it's your turn. Did the Eagles make the right call? Vote below.