Trevone Boykin will be the Seattle Seahawks’ breakout undrafted free agent player of 2016. There, I said it! And I won’t take it back. Some of most exciting times in football besides the draft, are the free agent signings and rookie mini camps. The Seahawks roster is loaded with talent that is bred from competition. Whether you’re a late round draft pick or you weren’t drafted at all, you always have a chance to compete. This is exciting news for undrafted free agents, because a roster spot is earned, not given. You legitimately have a shot to make the team, if you work hard, show your skills, and buy into the system. Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Michael Bennett, and Thomas Rawls are all undrafted players that contribute on both sides of the ball. Speaking of Thomas Rawls aka Baby Beast, who would have thought that during preseason, he would become the apparent heir to Marshawn Lynch? He was killing it before he got injured and was definitely in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Rawls is a special player that bursts with incredible speed, cuts through what seems like an invisible hole and runs right through defenders for extra yards. It’s that extra “something.” It’s his attitude! He runs with purpose! Well, now I see something special in quarterback Trevone Boykin.
Maybe I should have said this in the beginning. I know Boykin is projected to be a backup quarterback to Wilson. You are probably thinking how will he even see the field? I am not predicting that Russell Wilson will get injured. What I am saying is that because Boykin is so talented, he will work his way onto the field.
The Seahawks have consistently been one of the most explosive offenses in the league. They have a bruising running game that can eat the clock and a playmaker in Wilson who connects with his receivers to produce one of the most efficient catch rates in the league. Those same playmaking abilities are there for Boykin. Some even call Boykin a Russell Wilson clone. On ProFootballTalk.com, Carroll had this to say about Boykin: “His versatility and his style of play is so similar to Russell’s,” Carroll said, via ESPN. “He’s got a big arm. He’s a very creative athlete. He’s got great instincts and great vision. His ability to run and make people miss and get out of trouble is very similar to what Russell does. I thought that the opportunity to have both those guys in the same offense, it gives us a chance — if it works out, and we’ve got a long way to go — if it works out, to maintain continuity with one of the backups.”
What makes Boykin unique is that he is tough to defend because he extends plays just like Wilson. Matt Hayes, senior writer from SportingNews.com, cites one coach’s thoughts on Boykin. “He is unreal,” said Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury. “When you have a player that can make something out of nothing — not just something, but something really good — you’ve got a unique weapon that’s really tough to stop.” During his college career Boykin played wide receiver, running back, and quarterback. While at TCU, Boykin finished first in career passing yards, passing attempts, pass completions, and touchdown passes.
I am excited to see how Boykin will be used in this revamped offense. He is a playmaker and could bring his unique skill sets to the field just like former quarterback/wide receiver BJ Daniels did last year. If Boykin continues to soak up knowledge from Wilson and improve his accuracy, we could really see something special from him this season.
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