Brandon Boykin Blasts (Again) Chip Kelly

Current Philadelphia Eagles weren't the only ones to add salt to the wound.

Add former Eagles and current Pittsburgh Steelers corner back Brandon Boykin to the list.

Boykin played two seasons under Kelly before he was traded one day before the start of training camp to the Steelers in exchange for a conditional fifth round draft pick in 2016.

Boykin, who has played sparingly for the Steelers this season, told Mark Kaboly of TribLive.com:

When asked to compare Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and former Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly, cornerback Brandon Boykin said, "Tomlin treats players like professionals and grown men." Boykin added that Kelly didn't respect many of the Eagles, and he wasn't surprised by his former coach's dismissal with one game left in the season Tuesday.

"I think the players realized that a long time ago," he said. "Now the world knows. You can't trick players or pretend to be someone you're not if the results aren't there. The guys who were man enough to make a difference and do something about it were axed or (Kelly) acted like there were sour grapes or whatever.

"We were telling the truth, and people see that now. We are grown men, and he overlooked that aspect of it. He acted like he was better and smarter than people at his level, and that's where the respect was lost."

Boykin is clearly adding insult to injury here, back in August he gave parting shots toward Kelly on his way out the door:

The truth is Chip is uncomfortable around grown men of our culture. He can't relate, and that makes him uncomfortable, he likes to be in total control of everything. Players can excel when you naturally let them be who they are and in my experience that hasn't been important to him.

Boykin later recanted some of these comments and instead just alluded to Kelly not being able to relate to his players. It's something Lane Johnson would agree with in his comments after Kelly was let go.

Team owner Jeffrey Lurie said in his press conference that the next head coach of the team would possess "emotional intelligence." Running back DeMarco Murray has been quoted in saying the same thing.

--PG