It's no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles defensive backfield needs to be revamped.
Philly head coach/personnel czar Chip Kelly will be tasked with replacing at least half of his starters from last season and possibly a third spot as well, depending on cornerback Cary Williams' interest in a pay cut.
One pending unrestricted free agent, set to appear in Super Bowl XLIX as a member of the Seattle Seahawks' vaunted "Legion of Boom" secondary, is cornerback Byron Maxwell.
Maxwell, 6-foot-1, 207 pounds, checks off a lot of the boxes for Kelly's preference for bigger players with high character, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He's versatile - he prefers to play inside but plays outside with equal capability - and excels in man, press-coverage.
But, as the free agent crop of cornerbacks will most likely be limited, he won't be a cheap addition.
"So how much will it cost? Sources close to Maxwell recently threw out numbers like $12 million to $13 million a year. That may seem extreme for someone who wasn't a starter until last season, and only because Brandon Browner was suspended for the year," writes McLane.
Maxwell was targeted 74 times this season, allowing 60 receptions and a 12.8-yard average, per Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider has said the team would like to keep Maxwell, but as they're already paying Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas big money, it's hard to see the 27 year old Maxwell sticking around at those figures.
Schneider, speaking to McLane at Super Bowl Media Day, sounded like a guy who is resigned to losing Maxwell.
"I really hope that we're able to hold on to him, but I think he's going to be held in a very high regard," Schneider said, per McLane. "We're going to give it our best shot and see what happens. But no matter what happens, there's always going to be a strong level of love there."
Seattle's expected loss could be Philly's potential gain, if the price tag doesn't become exorbitant.
As McLane notes, Maxwell, a former sixth-round pick, is viewed around the league as a player "who has yet to scratch the surface" of his NFL abilities.
As an ascending player just entering his prime, it will take serious dough for the Eagles to sign him, making his potential addition to the Philly roster questionable at best - but that doesn't change the fact that there's simply no denying the almost perfect fit between the two sides.
