As a member of a Seattle Seahawks team that reached the Super Bowl the last two seasons running, emerging ultimately victorious once, new Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Byron Maxwell knows what it takes to create a winner in the NFL.
While Maxwell has only been a member of Chip Kelly's Eagles for a few months now, he's already seeing big, Super Bowl-worthy things in Philly's future.
Maxwell, when asked by MMQB.com's Jenny Vrentas as to whether or not he believed the Eagles were actually capable of reaching Super Bowl 50, replied simply that he believed they could and, more importantly, would.
"You can take that as a guarantee," said Maxwell. "That's just me believing in my team and the product we're going to put out there on the field. I really do believe that. I have no choice but to think that way."
He's right. Every NFL player, coach and franchise enters the offseason with Super Bowl aspirations and, further, expectations - to do otherwise would be to concede defeat even before a pass has been completed or a live snap taken.
Per Maxwell, his biggest reason for believing that the Eagles, specifically, can reach Super Bowl 50 is the similarity in culture between his former, two-time Super Bowl-worthy team and his new squad.
"It's pretty much the same," said Maxwell. "They teach you mental toughness, and being strong, and checking in with yourself and competing with yourself and bringing the best out of yourself every day. That's really what both of them try to get through to you. They might use different words, but that's basically what they're trying to get through. When I heard the rumors [that the Eagles would be interested], I said, let me just look at them and check them out. And everything was good. We've got a winning culture around here."
Maxwell, 27, signed a six-year, $63 million deal with the Eagles this offseason after four years as part of the vaunted Legion of Boom defensive backfield in Seattle.
"It's pretty much the same culture as in Seattle, I'm telling you," Maxwell said. "We had guys that made smoothies in Seattle, too. All that music during practice. It really is the same."
As he and the rest of his Philly teammates embark on this, the first offseason of full Chip Kelly control, the NFL viewing world waits with baited breath to see just what all the new acquisitions, departures and overall roster churning will mean for Philly in the W-L department.
If Maxwell is to be believed, fans in Philadelphia will be plenty happy with the changes.
If not, Maxwell, Kelly and the rest of exciting new pieces for the Eagles likely won't remain employed by Jeffrey Lurie for very long.
