August 13, 2015
Not only is Byron Maxwell going to be playing for a new team this season, but he's going to have a new role, one that not every cornerback is capable of playing.
According to defensive coordinator Billy Davis, the former Super Bowl champ will spend time shadowing the Eagles' opponent's top receiver, rather than sticking to just one side of the field. Needless to say, the Eagles like what they've seen out of Maxwell, who signed a six-year, $63 million deal earlier this summer.
"That's why they pay me," Maxwell said. "And it's an opportunity. To be in this division, and be able to follow those type of caliber receivers, it's an opportunity that I wasn't expecting, but I'll gladly take it."
Maxwell won't be the only one trying something new; the Eagles, as a team, haven't done this much recently. And when they have, it's been far from a permanent scheme. That appears to be the case again this season, but thanks to the addition of Maxwell, we'll likely see a lot more of it.
"We'll mix that up more this year," Davis said, adding that Maxwell's skill set will allow them to do so.
Still, it remains to be seen just how often the Eagles use the Clemson product in this way.
"Yeah, it will be a game‑to‑game thing," Davis said when asked about how often Maxwell will key on one receiver, regardless of where he lines up. "We traveled Cary [Williams] last year in a game or two. The last game of the year he did that and we had the ability to. But you have to really see a difference or a reason why to do that and take him out, because a lot of times, those guys get in a nice little pattern of the footwork in left and right."
"I'm looking forward to it," Maxwell said. "I really am. Like, once you start 'following guys,' your name is up there."
With the Seahawks -- Maxwell spent the first four years of his career there after being drafted by Seattle in the 6th round -- he played almost exclusively on the right side, so there will likely be somewhat of a learning curve. However, he doesn't seem too concerned about his footwork on the left side, especially after spending much of camp focusing on just that.
"It's a little different footwork, technique," Maxwell admitted. "But that'll come with just repetition. That'll come."
"I was going back and forth earlier in camp," he added. "But lately I've been on the left side, just getting used to it. On the right, I don't want to say I got it, but I'm pretty comfortable with it."
| OPP. | WR | YDS/GM (RK) | REC TD (RK) |
| Falcons | Julio Jones | 106.2 (2) | 6 (29) |
| Cowboys | Dez Bryant | 82.5 (10) | 16 (1) |
| Redskins | DeSean Jackson | 77.9 (14) | 6 (29) |
| Giants | Odell Beckham, Jr. | 108.8 (1) | 12 (4) |
| Lions | Calvin Johnson | 82.8 (9) | 8 (18) |
Three of those receivers -- Bryant, Jackson and Beckham, Jr. -- he'll have to face twice, but Maxwell seems up for the challenge.
"They're elite receivers, obviously," he said. "But when it's all said and done, if they beat me, I'm going to make them be great when they beat me."
After playing in the monstrous shadow of Richard Sherman for the last few seasons, Maxwell sees this as an opportunity, one that can put him in the conversation with some of the other top cornerbacks, guys like Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson.
"It's very different [than what I'm used to]," he said. "Obviously I'm used to sticking on the right side in Seattle. But it is an opportunity though. I'm looking forward to it. I really am. Like, once you start 'following guys,' your name is up there. That's how I'm looking at it."
And Maxwell could still get another opportunity before the season starts, possibly playing at the nickel spot as the team tries to sort out its secondary. He's played there before, including last season when he faced the Eagles as a member of the Seahawks.
He made quite an impression on his new coaches. So much so that the team is considering moving him inside to cover the slot despite preferring to keep him outside.
"He's in the conversation, but it's the latter part of the conversation," Davis said. "Right now we are so excited about having him out there wide and having him cover the big, longer receivers and matching up there.
"He absolutely could get some reps in there, but right now, again, it's his first year learning the defense and it's kind of our philosophy to try to let him really understand that spot first, before you bounce him around too much.
"But if at any point we felt the game‑winning decision would be to put him in the slot, we could."
We'll get our first chance to see how the Eagles plan to use Maxwell on Sunday, when the team faces the Colts in their preseason opener. But the 25-year-old is more concerned about just getting back up to speed.
"I want to the timing back down, the rhythm," he said when asked about what he hopes to get out of his first game in Philadelphia. "It's different being out there in the game when things are going full speed. So really, just getting the timing back down and the rhythm of the game."
Even though the games don't count, how the team uses Maxwell is something worth keeping an eye on throughout the preseason.
Who better to offer an assessment of a quarterback than a defensive back, the one guy he's constantly trying to beat. And you can considered Maxwell impressed.
"His accuracy," Maxwell said when asked what's stood out about Sam Bradford so far in camp. "I've never seen anything like that. He can really put it on you. His accuracy, that's the biggest thing I've seen with him. He can really put the ball wherever he wants to put it."
