Philadelphia Eagles Free Agency Talk With Twelfth Man Of Seattle – Byron Maxwell

Jan 31, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks fans wave 12th Man flags at the Seattle Seahawks 12Fest in the Desert at Chase Field prior to Super Bowl XLIX. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Twelfth Man Speaks

The results of that breakfast discussion were:

(1) Byron Maxwell handled the majority of targets in 2013 and 2014, due to the presence of cornerback Richard Sherman playing opposite.

(2) Seattle’s defense led the NFL in pass defense in 2014, giving up a mere 186 yards per game. (in comparison, Philadelphia surrendered 265 yards per game).

(3) Seattle’s defense led the NFL in pass defense in 2013 as well, giving up a mere 172 yards per game (again, Philadelphia surrendered 290 yards per game)

(4) In 2012, Seattle’s pass defense was sixth in the league, giving up 203 yards per game (Philadelphia was close with a mere 217 yards per game)

(5) Seattle defense also led the NFL in scoring defense per game in both 2014 and 2013.

(6)  Maxwell took over for now New England cornerback Brandon Browner, and the defense actually improved as a result.

(7) Since starting, Maxwell has recorded twelve passes defended in each of the last two years.

My research continued on through my trip, with each fan weighing in with something positive to say about the guy.   When asked whether they would miss his talent, the answer I received pretty much defined the attitude of the franchise:

“Sure, we’ll miss him.  But he’s played great and has earned the right for a large paycheck.   We trust our system to find the next star of the defense from the sixth round.”

“More power to him.  He played for us and played well.  He didn’t sign him for life.”

“Byron Maxwell gave us his all.  Now all we can do is give him our thanks as he takes over his own defensive backfield.  He’s a scrapper.”

“As an Eagle you say?  Well, why not.  He loves a challenge.  He’s confident, but he’s passionate too.   His style would fit nicely into what you’re trying to do over there, right?   Yeah, he’ll give you quality back there.”

“As a player, you couldn’t ask for a better one.  But with Maxwell you get something more.  You get a young man who was mentored by the best, and he’ll be able to share those lessons with your entire squad.  You get a bonus if you sign Maxwell.  He’s played as a member of the best defensive backfield of the NFL.”

Well, what about naysayers?  Yes, I found one.  Miguel, a young man who checked my bag in at the Seattle airport was not impressed with Maxwell.

"Maxwell? Yeah, he’ll do okay. But he was burned by Edelman. (actually, Edelman burned substitute cornerback Tharold Simon who played slot after cornerback was forced from the game from an injury after picking off New England quarterback Tom Brady.) Yeah. He had some good plays but he’s not going to be worth the money."

As I thanked him, I mentioned how knowledgeable Seahawk fans were about the game.

"Seahawks fan? No man, I root for the Green Bay Packers."

Now I understood how he confused the coverage assignments in the Super Bowl. But his comments did intrigue me. What exactly ARE we getting? When I checked some of the free agents available this year, Maxwell surprisingly did NOT come out as the top rated player. Was this another situation of media hype overpricing and oveselling the guy because he’s the right age and coming off the right team to place him unquestionably into the “gotta have this player!” section of free agency?