It's no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Chip Kelly's signing of cornerback Byron Maxwell to a mammoth free agent contract this offseason means the team has high expectations for Maxwell to become something he never was in Seattle - a No. 1 corner.
It's also likely no secret that the Eagles threw big bucks at Maxwell due in large part to an NFC East division that boasts wide receiver talent like the Cowboys Dez Bryant, the Redskins DeSean Jackson and the Giants Odell Beckham Jr.
But does Maxwell's addition and big free agent deal, necessary though it may be, constitute a desperation move for Kelly?
"To me, the Byron Maxwell signing is a signal of desperation," ESPN's Todd Archer writes. "The Cowboys made a similar signing in 2012 when they paid Brandon Carr $50 million. I get that you're going to have to overpay in free agency to get players, especially cornerbacks, but I don't think the Legion of Boom will crater without Maxwell."
Carr, of course, has provided little in the way of major impact for the Cowboys since signing said major deal. In three seasons in Dallas Carr has managed just six interceptions and 31 passes defensed. He's appeared in all 16 games each season, amassing 53, 71 and 54 tackles, but he simply hasn't been a player worth a deal that carries a $12.7 million cap hit for 2015. There has been talk out of Dallas of the team attempting to restructure his deal, but nothing has yet come of it.
Carr was 26 when he hit his big free agent payday with the Cowboys - Maxwell is already 27 and didn't become a full-time player in the Seahawks secondary until the 2013 season. In the two seasons since becoming a starter, Maxwell has amassed six interceptions, 24 passes defensed and 67 tackles, so he seems to be a player on the rise.
Still, there's no denying that his addition on a deal that carries cap hits of $8.7 million, $9.7 million and $11.7 million in the first three season, represents a significant gamble on Kelly and Co.'s part.
Then again, as ESPN's Dan Graziano notes in the same piece, it may not be hard for Maxwell and the rest of the revamped Eagles defense to improve upon the product that Philly fielded in 2015.
"We're talking about Maxwell, Walter Thurmond and second-round pick Eric Rowe as additions to the Eagles' secondary, basically replacing Bradley Fletcher, Cary Williams and Nate Allen. I don't think Fletcher, Williams or Allen are guys who'll be too terribly missed, so the question is whether the three new guys are sufficiently significant upgrades. Seems like a lot of expensive deck-chair-shuffling to me, but we'll see," writes Graziano.
In the end, much of the Eagles prospects next season hinges on Maxwell's ability to play a top role for a Philadelphia defensive secondary that looks very different from the one they ended last season with. Defensive coordinator Billy Davis has already indicated this offseason that the team has been experimenting with having Maxwell potentially shadow the opposition's best receiver, so Maxwell, the new $60 million dollar man, seems like he'll have every opportunity to prove to the Eagle fanbase that he's worth the major value on his contract.
