Brandon Boykin has suggested that a clash in culture was the reason he became the latest player to leave the Philadelphia Eagles under Chip Kelly's tenure.
The 25-year-old was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2016 Draft after three seasons as a starting cornerback for the NFC West side.
Kelly admitted that Boykin was "stunned" by his exit, and the 25-year-old believes that he could not communicate with his coach outside of talking about the game, which he also feels played a role in the departures of DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy.
"I said that he was uncomfortable with men of our culture," Boykin told reporters. "I'm not saying he's a racist at all. When you are a player, you want to be able to relate to your coach outside of football.
"When you're not talking football scheme, I want to be able to sit there and talk to you about whatever. There were times, he just wouldn't talk to people. You would walk down the hallway, he wouldn't say anything to you. And I don't know what that is. I'm not saying he's a racist in any way.
"As a player, I wanted to be able to relate to my coach a little bit better and I felt like a lot of guys in that locker room feel the same way. Of course. when you're in the organisation, you're not going to voice your opinion. I've always been a guy of honesty -- you're honest with me, I'll be honest with you. I felt that honesty wasn't there all the time."
Boykin has recorded 120 tackles, one sack and seven interceptions in his three years in the NFL.
Simon Sinclair
