The Carolina Panthers have signed unrestricted free agent cornerback Brandon Boykin to a one-year contract, the team announced Monday.-“I’ve watched Carolina and you can’t help but see how successful they’ve been in the defensive backfield with their style of play,” Boykin said. “I knew it would be a really good fit for me.”-Boykin, 5-10 and 185 pounds, joins Carolina after one season in Pittsburgh. In 2015, Boykin played in 16 regular season games with one start, tallying 21 tackles, one sack, one interception, five passes defensed and one forced fumble. He also saw action in two postseason games with one start.-“Brandon brings a lot of versatility,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “He’s athletic, smart, instinctive, tough, and has quality ball skills. Brandon is a very good piece for our defense and brings solid special teams value as well. We’re excited to add Brandon to our roster.”-A fourth-round draft choice (123rd overall) by Philadelphia in 2012, Boykin spent three seasons (2012-14) with Philadelphia before being traded to Pittsburgh in August 2015. He has played in 64 career regular season games with seven starts and has career totals of 116 tackles, two sacks, eight interceptions, 37 passes defensed and five forced fumbles. He has also returned 54 kickoffs for 1,242 yards (23.0-yard average).
