Philadelphia Eagles

Byron Maxwell could switch sides to potentially shadow wide receivers

Published Jun. 4, 2015 12:28 p.m. ET

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In 2014, cornerback Byron Maxwell primarily lined up as the right cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks. The Philadelphia Eagles handed Maxwell the largest contract for a free agent cornerback this offseason because he was the ideal fit for their defensive scheme. At just over 6-feet-1 inches tall and 207 pounds, Maxwell meets Chip Kelly's length requirement for the starting outside cornerback position.

However, his role could change in 2015 with the Eagles. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis is toying around with the idea of moving Maxwell around to both the right and left cornerback spots as a way to match him up with the opposing team's best wide receiver.

"We can," Davis said, per ESPN. "I’m not going to say we are, but we can. We have that ability. Right now, we change them left and right every day, so they’re working on the right side, they’re working on the left side."

Earlier this week, Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews said that Maxwell was the toughest cornerback he matched up with during his rookie 2014 season. Matthews' claim seems like hyperbole when you break down the numbers. Maxwell allowed 63.4 percent of passes he was targeted on to be completed in 2014--a number much greater than that from any of the top cornerbacks according to Pro Football Focus' grades.

(h/t ESPN)

Photo Credit: Jim O'Connor/USA TODAY Sports