With the Seahawks heavily invested in 75 percent of their secondary, there will always be a Ringo who ends up having to go elsewhere to get paid.
Last year, it was cornerback Brandon Browner, who joined the Patriots. This year, it’s cornerback Byron Maxwell.
Per multiple reports (beginning with Jayson Braddock of KBME radio in Houston), the Eagles will sign Maxwell to a deal that includes $25 million guaranteed. It’s not yet known whether that’s fully guaranteed money or money guaranteed at the time of signing.
Whatever the final numbers are (if/when Maxwell indeed becomes an Eagle), it’ll be interesting to see how he does without Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas around him. The mere fact that the Falcons and head coach Dan Quinn didn’t jump into the bidding for Maxwell should be regarded as a potential red flag.
While the presence of a pair of solid young corners made Maxwell a luxury for a team with plenty of necessities, if Maxwell was another Richard Sherman, the former Seahawks defensive coordinator turned first-year Falcons coach would have been at or near the front of the line.
