Arm Chair GM: Cornerback, Part 1: Free Agency

Sorry for the delay in posts. I was in the midst of a move so it prevented me from getting my thoughts down on paper…errr… word processor.. 

Before the hiatus, I took a big picture look at the Eagles roster to identify the areas that most needed improvement this offseason. We already broke down the top spot — the Eagles newly appointed vice president of player personnel Ed Marynowitz. 

 Now, we turn to the second most important area the Eagles need to address this offseason: cornerback. I provided a brief breakdown in the big picture view, but let's dig into this deeper.

It was no secret last year that the Eagles struggled in the secondary.  Top wideouts took turns beating Bradley Fletcher like a piñata, and Carey Williams was about as consistent as a 12-year old girl; he flashed levels of competence, but they were often overshadowed by blown coverages and boneheaded penalties.

Brandon Boykin was the Eagles best corner, but couldn't get on the field consistently because the Eagles coaching staff apparently prefers size over.. you know… actual skill. And the coaching staff apparently did not think Nolan Carroll was better than Bradley Fletcher. So either Carroll is one of the worst corners in the league (which makes you question why he was signed in the first place) or the coaching staff cannot properly evaluate talent. (For all our sake, let's hope it's the former). Finally, rookie Jaylan Watkins did not get any playing time until the end of the season, and while he showed flashes, he also was beaten on several occasions, so he is, at best, a question mark moving forward. 

So the Eagles need to seriously upgrade the cornerback position. Let's take an in-depth look at their options, starting first with free agency. 

Byron Maxwell

While Byron Maxwell is the least heralded member of the Legion of Boom, he is arguably the most popular player in Philadelphia right now. Eagles fans are just dying for the Birds to sign him. Is he worth it? Or is this just Jarius Byrd 2.0?

Let's start with the positives. Maxwell is 26 years old, has good size (6'1, 206 lbs) and speed (ran a 4.43 40 at the combine). He did not become a starter until the tail-end of 2013 when Brandon Browner was suspended for the final four games of the season, but once he did, he was a catalyst for the Seahawks Super Bowl run. Starting at week 13, his play mirrored that of his more heralded counterpart, Richard Sherman. Check out these numbers per Pro Football Focus:

Those are damn good numbers. 

However, his 2014 numbers were not as impressive. According to Pro Football Focus, Maxwell ranked 45th out of 108 qualifying cornerbacks in 2014. For context, Carey Williams ranked 49th. Not exactly great company. In case you were wondering, Bradley Fletcher ranked 92nd (I know, I was just as shocked as you that there are 16 other professional cornerbacks that had a worse season than Fletcher this year). 

So is he a stud or are his limitations masked by playing on the league's best secondary? (Kind of like how Patrick Chung all of a sudden became a competent safety in New England this year playing along side Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, and Devin McCourtey).

For some insider knowledge on Maxwell, Jimmy Kempski at PhillyVoice.com spoke to Danny Kelly of FieldGulls.com. The entire article is worth checking out, but the main take away was that Maxwell was a very good player that was "strong against the run, has excellent ball skills, and is known for his deadly punch-out, which has forced some key fumbles and broken up passes many times over the past couple years." Even more impressive, Maxwell apparently only gave up one touchdown pass this year. (That wasn't a typo). 

The question becomes whether Maxwell will be worth the price tag. He is going to have plenty of suitors this offseason, as he figures to be the best corner available (assuming Darrelle Revis resigns with the Patriots). The Ravens and Browns are two teams reportedly interested in Maxwell, and the list of suitors figures to grow. Apparently, Maxwell knows this, as he was recently told NFL.com that he was excited about testing free agency because "I'm the prettiest girl at the dance right now."

While he won't get Sherman or Revis money, it is safe to assume that he will receive something similar to Vonte Davis, Aqib Talib, and Jonathan Joseph, between $9 to $11 million per year over 5 years. That's a lot of money to throw at a guy who could not even win the starting job until last year.

While the Eagles will undoubtedly be interested in Maxwell, the question becomes whether they view him as one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Because regardless of whether he actually is that good, he is about to be paid like it.

Brandon Flowers

This is a tough one. On paper, Flowers is a very good player. He was a Pro Bowl caliber cornerback in Kansas City until they changed defensive schemes, and it turned into a square peg, round hole situation. After he was released by Kansas City (ohhhhh, Andy), he rebounded by putting in a pro bowl caliber year in San Diego last year.

He is young(ish) at 29. Per Pro Football Focus, he was tied for 15th in completions allowed (42) last year, and also ranked as their 15th overall cornerback. All very good numbers.

But (and you just knew there was a but), he is better suited for a zone defense, which is not something the Eagles run very often. Plus, he's 5'9. Just ask Brandon Boykin how his vertical deficiency worked out for him last year. And it looks like San Diego is going to do everything they can to resign him. So it might be a moot point.

Tramon Williams and Antonio Cromartie

These guys don't come as a package deal, but they are probably the two best remaining options. However, according to Patrick Peterson, Cromartie "keeps talking about freaking New York," where he played for the Jets and now has the chance to reunite with the Jets head coach Todd Bowles, who was Cromartie's defensive coordinator in Arizona. So he is likely out.

Williams could make some sense as a stop gap player. While he is turning 32 in March, he reportedly took care of his body better than anyone else on the Packers the last two years, and has only missed one game over the last five years.  After being marred by inconsistency earlier in his career, he has played very well the last two years. He would also represent a significant upgrade over Bradley Fletcher (not that that is saying much). And given his age, he likely won't cost nearly as much as Maxwell.

It says here the smart play is to make a run at Maxwell, but if he becomes overpaid ala Jarius Byrd, then the Eagles should sign Williams and draft a corner in the first round.

Check out part two of my breakdown for the draft coverage.