Why Byron Maxwell Is Philadelphia Eagles' Most Important New Starter

It's been perhaps the craziest offseason in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles, and there's no doubt in anybody's mind that Chip Kelly isn't finished with the wildness.

So far, he's traded quarterback Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams for former No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Bradford. He's traded running back LeSean McCoy for linebacker Kiko Alonso. He's signed cornerback Byron Maxwell, shopped the NFL's best guard in Evan Mathis and worked out former Heisman winner Tim Tebow.

Oh, and many, including myself, are still convinced Kelly is planning to pull a draft-day trade that will land him his former quarterback from Oregon, Marcus Mariota. 

Including 2014 backups who will become 2015 starters, the Eagles have new starters at the following positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, right guard, inside linebacker, outside linebacker, cornerback (twice) and safety. That's a minimum of nine new starters with the draft still to come. 

So which is the most important new starter for the 2015 team? Four clearly stand out above the others: quarterback Sam Bradford, running back DeMarco Murray, inside Alonso and Maxwell.

I still don't believe Kelly is planning to hitch his coaching future on a mediocre 27-year-old coming off two straight torn ACLs with a cap hit of $12.985 million in 2015. So since I don't even expect him to take a snap for the Eagles in 2015, Bradford is out. Murray, the league's rushing champion in 2015, is about equal in talent to McCoy, even though their style of running is completely different. 

That leaves either Alonso and Maxwell as the most important new starter on the defense. While Alonso is expected to become a force in the middle of the defense, it's unclear whether he'll even return to elite form following a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2014 season. The Eagles were already stacked at linebacker too, with Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham on the outside and Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans on the inside. 

The most important new starter for the 2015 Eagles is easily Maxwell, whose lucrative free-agent deal hands him $63 million, including $25.5 million guaranteed, over six years. It's the second-largest free-agent deal in team history, trailing only the eight-year, $65 million deal given to defensive end Jevon Kearse before the 2004 season. 

Maxwell, who benefited greatly from playing the last few few seasons on Seattle's famed Legion of Boom, is now expected to to serve as the number one cornerback in Philadelphia. In fact, he's the most important defensive back, just a year after being his old team's fourth-most important defensive back.

Maxwell, 27, has only started 17 games throughout his career. He's more of an unknown than a sure thing, and the contract the Eagles gave him is extremely risky. In fact, it's hard to fathom a scenario in which Maxwell, who will average $10.5 million in salary through the 2020 season, outperforms his new deal. 

Don't expect him to be the next Nnamdi Asomugha though. The former Oakland Raiders shutdown corner failed in Philly primarily because of his age (he was 30 when he signed his new deal) and the scheme fit (new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo had spent the previous two decades coaching the offensive side of the ball). That's not the case for Maxwell in Philly though. He's 27 and was born to play in Philly's defense. Just ask him.

The former sixth-round pick identified Philly as a perfect scheme fit. You know the Eagles feel the same way. Maxwell, who stands 6'0" and weighs 217 pounds, has some of the longest arms you'll ever see (33-1/2"). He has the skill set and versatility to play both outside corner and slot corner.

He's used to playing in Cover 3 and Cover 1, with a single-high safety, as both the Eagles and Seahawks have used so many times. He's tremendous in press man coverage and physical enough to limit receivers after the catch. He's also solid in run coverage and rarely gives up big plays. 

Per Pro Football Focus, Maxwell allowed just one touchdown on 71 targets last season. His 78.5 passer rating wasn't anything spectacular but consider some of his work against the game's best receivers. He was particularly at his best in the postseason. Against Carolina, he wasn't targeted a single time all game. Against Green Bay he intercepted Aaron Rodgers, and against Tom Brady he allowed a respectable 40 passing yards on seven targets. 

On an Eagles' defensive backfield that allowed 30 passing touchdowns in 2014, Maxwell is the most important member. In fact, he's probably the most important member of the defense. He's easily the most crucial offseason acquisition.

He's largely an unknown considering his small body of work as a full-time starter and the amount of money the Eagles paid him is insane. He's one of the five highest-paid cornerbacks in the National Football League and he's never a) played a full season or b) been his team's number one corner. So it's definitely a risk. But it's a move the Eagles had to make if they want to make that leap from good to great team during Year 3 in the Chip Kelly era. 

There's no question the Eagles will have a terrific front seven during the 2015 season. They recorded 49 sacks in 2014 and Alonso has the potential to be one of the game's best young linebackers if he returns to the form he displayed as a rookie.

But the secondary, the team's biggest weakness last year, is still a major unknown heading into the draft. There's no legitimate number two cornerback, as Kelly says Walter Thurmond, Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll will compete for the other outside spot. And the safety position next to veteran Malcolm Jenkins is a giant hole right now, with 2013 fifth-round pick Earl Wolff the likely starter if the season began now. 

So in a high-scoring division with incredible playmakers at wide receiver like Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham and DeSean Jackson, the Eagles absolutely need Maxwell to play like the $63 million man they paid. If Maxwell turns into a bust, a la Asomugha in 2011, the Eagles could be in danger of missing the postseason for the second straight year.

But if Maxwell turns into what the Eagles think he could be, this is a defense that could improve from 22nd in scoring in 2014 to top 15 in 2015. Considering what happened to the Eagles in the draft, that could make this team a dark-horse Super Bowl contender.