The Byron Maxwell-to-the-Philadelphia Eagles talk continues to intensify.
Tony Pauline of Draft Insider revealed Friday that league sources told him the Eagles were the "front-runners" to land the Seahawks cornerback during the NFL's free agency period in March.
That particular NFL rumor has picked up steam.
"Since my posting Friday on the belief the Philadelphia Eagles are the frontrunners for Byron Maxwell, additional sources have told me they agree with the assessment and feel Maxwell ends up with the team," Pauline reported Monday.
Maxwell, who just celebrated his 27th birthday, is widely considered the class of the NFL's free agent cornerback crop. He's played as the fourth piece of the vaunted Seattle "Legion of Boom" defensive backfield alongside All-Pros Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor for the past two seasons.
He finished this year with 39 tackles, two interceptions and 12 passes defensed a year after logging 28 tackles, four interceptions, one forced fumble and 12 passes defensed.
He's an ascending player whose addition would go a long way towards helping the Eagles and head coach Chip Kelly fix what ended up as a historically bad Philadelphia defensive backfield last season.
At least two starters from that unit - safety Nate Allen and cornerback Bradley Fletcher - are unrestricted free agents unlikely to return to the Philly fold. Another, cornerback Cary Williams, is an underrated player but has a high cap hit - over $8 million - for next year and is reportedly uninterested in redoing his deal - it was recently estimated to be a 50-50 proposition that he would return.
Maxwell, per Pauline, is looking to break the bank once the NFL's market opens for business. He is said to be seeking a deal in the range of $10 million per season - a hefty sum even for a player seemingly on the rise with a Super Bowl pedigree.
