Maxwell hopes to show how much he’s missed
Byron Maxwell tried not to take his situation with he Philadelphia Eagles personally, even though he didn’t sound so convincing upon his return to the NovaCare Complex on Monday.
PHILADELPHIA » Byron Maxwell played one year for the Eagles, barely enough to collect many memories, but plenty to pile up some bitterness.
A free agent, and a pricey one — the deal was announced at $63 million for six years — the cornerback was to provide defensive certainty while Chip Kelly was fooling around on offense and trying to re-imagine the sport.
So the two-time Super Bowl winner did what he could, making two interceptions, forcing two fumbles, allowing just two touchdown catches … and cringing as the 2015 Birds went 7-9.
“It was tough in Philly,” Maxwell was saying Monday. “Losing games. Losing the coach. But going through all of that helped me.”
To experience, then, Maxwell would charge his Philadelphia stint, which ended almost exactly a year after it started when he and Kiko Alonso were traded to Miami for a first-round draft choice, No. 8 overall. Later, the Eagles would include that pick in a stash of picks sent to Cleveland for the right to move up to No. 2, where they could select Carson Wentz.
Maxwell tried not to take the situation personally, even though he didn’t sound so convincing upon his return to the NovaCare Complex Monday. That’s where the Dolphins and Birds will hold joint practices this week before their preseason game Thursday at the Linc.
“It was obvious,” Maxwell said, to reporters and, by extension, to anyone following the Philadelphia Eagles, “you needed a quarterback.” But was there more? “That’s what it was, though,” he said. But … “I just said that.” Nor was Maxwell being difficult after the morning workout in which he was tested, and occasionally beaten, by Torrey Smith among a few others throughout. The way he had it figured, business brought him to Philadelphia, and business sent him away. As for the ripple effects, there was at least one: His thirst to expose the Eagles’ talentevaluation flaws.
“I would be lying if I told you I don’t want to do better than the Eagles do,” he said. “I do. I want to win more games than them in order to prove them wrong, so yeah.”
Does he still feel that way about Seattle, his other former team?
“No, just Philly,” he said, before breaking into half a smile. “OK, also Seattle.”
His desires normal, the 29-year-old corner was neither dominating nor dominated Monday, holding his own on a day when both offenses seemed ahead of both defenses.
“We played against each other last year,” said Smith, who played last season with the 49ers. “He’s a great corner. He has long arms, which is always tough for receivers. He’s smart. He a vet. And he’s a great player.
“I’m sure he is happy down there. He is in Florida. Good weather. And he is a good player. That’s how the business goes. But I am sure he is comfortable. He knows a lot of the players here. That doesn’t mean anything to me.
“He’s a talented corner. So I think it definitely helps going against him in the preseason.”
That arrangement is fine with Maxwell, who happily greeted some familiar faces after practice, yet resisted breaking into an E-A-G-LE-S chant.
“I was here for a year,” he said. “So I see all the guys I bonded with for a year. But as for feelings and stuff like that, I didn’t feel that in any way.”
If anything, Maxwell’s leading emotion was one of confusion. He knows the Eagles were plotting to acquire a quarterback after replacing Kelly with firstyear head coach Doug Pederson. He just didn’t figure he’d be among the toppled dominoes.
“Yeah, I was surprised,” he said. “Something just wasn’t right. You usually hear from your coaches in the offseason. I didn’t hear from any of them. So I was like, ‘I might be on the move.’ I was surprised, though. But I’m happy. I’m glad they made that choice. It worked out for both of us.
“You got a quarterback and I’m on a winning team,” said Maxwell.
The Dolphins did reach the playoffs last season, but not before benching, then resurrecting Maxwell as a starter.
“From the bench,” he said, “I learned what the team needed from me and what I needed to do.”
The Eagles may have been expecting more for their investment in Maxwell, but statistically, his production about mirrored his Seattle output that season. That he somehow was turned into Wentz may eventually roll him into a trivia question.
In the meantime, he feels the Eagles will miss his presence.
And has that begun already?
“Um,” Maxwell said, with impeccable timing and a hint of a smile, “yeah.”