Byron Maxwell

Dolphins Demote Byron Maxwell

September 29th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Dolphins are demoting high-priced cornerback Byron Maxwell, report Adam H. Beasley and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Not only will the team reduce Maxwell’s playing time against the Bengals on Thursday, but it will also start Tony Lippett in his place, according to Beasley and Salguero.

Maxwell and Lippett have been polar opposites this year in terms of playing time, as the former has participated in all 244 of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps and the latter hasn’t yet taken the field. Maxwell hasn’t done enough to justify seeing as much action going forward in the eyes of either the Dolphins or Pro Football Focus, which ranks the 28-year-old a below-average 69th out of 104 qualified corners in overall performance this season.

Maxwell has disappointed since leaving Seattle as a free agent after the 2014 season and signing a six-year, $63MM contract with Philadelphia. After the 6-foot-1, 203-pounder didn’t live up to his deal with the Eagles last season, they elected in March to send him, linebacker Kiko Alonso and the 13th pick in this year’s draft to Miami for the eighth selection.

Alonso has bounced back from a dreadful 2015 to serve as one of the league’s top linebackers against the run this season, per PFF, but the Maxwell era in Miami hasn’t been as fruitful. As a result, he’ll cede playing time to Lippett, a converted receiver and a fifth-rounder in the 2015 draft, as the Dolphins face the A.J. Green-led Bengals on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Watt, Maxwell, Raiders, Jaguars

September 7th, 2016 at 7:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.J. Watt worried whether or not he’d be healthy enough to return to football in the days following his groin surgery this winter, per Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com. The Texans‘ defensive end dynamo, however, said the rehab from his July back surgery didn’t faze him nearly as much.

“After the first surgery, there were some days there where I really, really questioned whether or not I would ever be able to play again,” Watt said. “Just some of the stuff we were dealing with from a rehab standpoint, just the way recovery was going early on…way back in January and February, there was a very low point there.

“[After the groin surgery] I was in a hotel room in Philadelphia for 10 days straight not being able to really walk or anything. With this this back surgery, after going through the first one…it was almost like, ‘screw it, let’s get it over with, let’s get through it.’ This one has almost been a fun challenge to overcome.”

Houston activated Watt from the Active/PUP list last week and is expected to deploy him for the Week 1 Bears matchup. Counting five playoff games, Watt has started 85 consecutive contests going into his sixth season.

Here’s more from around the league on the eve of Week 1.

Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell was blunt when asked about why he left the Seahawks in free agency in 2015 to join up with the Eagles, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes. “Cash flow, all day,” Maxwell said. “They were close. But I can’t make that back in my lifetime. So I had to go.” Philadelphia gave Maxwell a six-year, $63MM contract with a whopping $25MM guaranteed. However, after he struggled in his first season with Philly, he was shipped to the Dolphins and had his contract restructured. After being in the shadow of Richard Sherman with Seattle, Maxwell is now the No. 1 CB for the Dolphins.
If the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee doesn’t vote to green-light sufficient funds for a Raiders stadium, the sides will move on, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets. This is viewed by Las Vegas and the Raiders as a one-shot deal, per Cole. The SNTIC has until Sept. 30 to come up with a financing plan, but the issue over how much public money will be contributed remains the sticking point. Developers are seeking $750MM in public contributions for the $1.9 billion stadium. With Oakland having made next to no progress on plans for a Raiders long-term site, the team could pivot back to Los Angeles, which may again have both the Chargers and Raiders interested after both had previously moved to other projects.
Dave Caldwell viewed his first three Jaguars teams as flawed to the point the team needed “perfect” efforts to be in a game late, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. “Now we can overcome a bad play, a fumble, a backed-up situation, a deficit,” the fourth-year Jags GM said. “Offensively, we can score quickly and defensively, I think we can hold that fort down.” Jacksonville’s accumulated a 12-36 record during the first three seasons of the Caldwell/Gus Bradley regime.
After matching C.J. Anderson‘s offer sheet, extending Brandon Marshall through 2020 and avoiding a franchise tag season for Von Miller, the Broncos reached an agreement to extend Emmanuel Sanders through 2019.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Dolphins Not Pursuing Hall, Cromartie At This Time

June 5th, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins traded for Byron Maxwell earlier this offseason just two days after releasing Brent Grimes, and given Maxwell’s disappointing 2015 campaign in Philadelphia–combined with Miami’s largely inexperienced cornerback corps–one would think that the Fins might be one of the primary suitors for veteran corners Antonio Cromartie and Leon Hall. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes, however, that is not the case. Jackson says that both Hall and Cromartie are on the Dolphins’ radar should the team suffer injuries at the cornerback position or if its young corners do not develop as expected, but so far, the Dolphins are pleased with their young guns and want them to continue taking as many meaningful reps as possible.

Hall, the longtime Bengal, is currently rated as PFR’s second-best defensive player still on the market, while Cromartie received an honorable mention (Brandon Boykin and Chris Culliver, two other veteran corners that the Dolphins could theoretically bring in, rated as the fifth- and seventh-best free agent defenders, respectively). Hall is not the the boundary defender he used to be, but the 31-year-old still figures to be productive in the slot, and his veteran presence and high football IQ would surely be welcome in South Beach. Indeed, the Cowboys, Cardinals, Giants, and Falcons have all expressed varying levels of interest in Hall, suggesting that his services are at least somewhat in demand.

However, he has been plagued by health issues throughout his career, and an offseason back procedure will not alleviate clubs’ concerns about his injury history. Plus, the Dolphins think highly of second-year player Bobby McCain and would like to see him start in the slot (which would also help explain Miami’s apparent lack of interest in Boykin).

Cromartie, meanwhile, has not garnered much, if any, interest from other teams after he was released by the Jets back in February. He had earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2012 to 2014, earning him a four-year, $32MM deal with the Jets last March, but he was not as effective as usual during his first season back in New York after a one-year stint in Arizona (Pro Football Focus ranked him 86th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks). He has frequently struggled with getting burned by opposing receivers, but he has largely been able to compensate for those problems with a high level of playmaking ability. As he gets older, though, the interceptions will likely diminish while his coverage deficiencies will be further exploited, so if the Dolphins were to pursue a veteran corner, Cromartie is probably not the best option.

Miami’s present stance on free agent corners may also be influenced by Maxwell’s performance in the early stages of the offseason. As James Walker of ESPN.com wrote several days ago, Maxwell has been one of the most impressive players in the Dolphins’ early workouts, and this morning Walker tabbed Maxwell as one of the team’s two standout players in OTAs (Twitter link). If Miami can get a bounceback year from Maxwell, and if players like McCain, Xavien Howard, and Tony Lippett progress as hoped, the club could have a strong stable of defensive backs.

Nonetheless, that is a lot of “ifs,” and given the importance of strong cornerback play in the NFL, it would not be surprising to see Miami change course and sign a veteran CB or two in the near future (the Dolphins did bring in Greg Toler for a workout several months ago, though that was before they selected Howard in this year’s draft). But for the time being, the team’s young corners will apparently get ample opportunity to prove their worth.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Extra Points: Lynch, Norman, Panthers, Dolphins

April 23rd, 2016 at 12:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…

Marshawn Lynch announced his retirement more than two months ago, and the Seahawks subsequently recognized the decision. However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes that the organization still hasn’t made the accompanying roster move. The writer wonders if Lynch is delaying the retirement to force his release from the organization, which would allow him to sign with any team at any time.
Washington‘s willingness to hand out a big contract to Josh Norman leads Florio to ponder whether the Panthers could have traded the All-Pro cornerback. Carolina will presumably receive a third-round pick as compensation for losing Norman, so Florio acknowledges that a team would have had to give up better assets.
If the Panthers were to bring in a veteran cornerback, ESPN.com’s David Newton says Antonio Cromartie would be the most logical fit (Twitter link).
Despite the Dolphins assertion to the contrary, ESPN.com’s James Walker wonders if the organization is actually worried about their cornerback depth. There are doubts about whether Byron Maxwell can be a true top corner, and the team also has question marks at the number-two and nickel spot.

Contract Details: Smith, Martin, Sweezy, Thornton

March 10th, 2016 at 9:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are some of the latest details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL. All Twitter links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…

Sean Smith, CB (Raiders): Four years, $38MM. $20MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. 2016 $5.75MM base salary is guaranteed. 2017 $5MM salary guaranteed against injury upon signing. 2018 base: $8.25MM. 2019: $8.75MM. $500K annual Pro Bowl incentive. Smith has $4.25MM roster bonus guaranteed on third day of 2017 league year. (Twitter links). $15.25MM fully guaranteed in first 12 months of the deal, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter)
Byron Maxwell, CB (Dolphins): As part of restructure, gave back $1.5MM in cash on 2017 salary in exchange for $2MM guaranteed in ’17, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter)
Doug Martin, RB (Buccaneers): Five years, $35.75MM. $15MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus on March 14. Guaranteed base salaries of $4MM, $7MM in 2016, 2017. Salaries from 2018-20: $6.75MM, $7MM, $7MM. $1.44MM escalator for stats, playing time, Pro Bowls from 2017-20 (Twitter links)
J.R. Sweezy, G (Buccaneers): Five years, $32.5MM. $14.5MM guaranteed. $5MM roster bonus on March 15. Base salaries from 2016-20: $4.5MM, $2.5MM, $6.5MM, $5.75MM, $5.75MM. $2.75MM roster bonus in 2017. (Twitter link)
Cedric Thornton, DE (Cowboys): Four years, $17MM. $9MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Base salaries 2016-19: $1MM (guaranteed), $3MM (guaranteed against injury), $4MM, $4MM. (Twitter link)
Tracy Porter, CB (Bears): Three years, $12MM. $4.25MM guaranteed. $900K signing bonus. $1.6MM roster bonus on March 30. Base salaries from 2016-18: $1.5MM, $3.5MM, $3.5MM. $1MM Pro Bowl bonus in each year. (Twitter links via Wilson and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times)
Bilal Powell, RB (Jets): Three years, $11.25MM. $250MM signing bonus. 2016 base salary of $850K, which is guaranteed. $2.5MM of $3.75MM 2017 base salary guaranteed. (Twitter link)
Tony Bergstrom, C (Texans): Two years, $5.75MM. $750K signing bonus. $1.5MM guaranteed. Base salaries in 2016-17: $1.23MM (guaranteed), $2.63MM (guaranteed against injury). $750K roster bonus April 18. (Twitter links)
Johnson Bademosi, DB (Lions): Two years, $4.5MM. $2.9MM guaranteed. Base salaries in 2016-17: $1.1MM, $1.3MM. $50K annual workout bonus. $400K Pro Bowl incentive. (Twitter link)

Dolphins Sign OT Jermon Bushrod

March 10th, 2016 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have signed free agent tackle Jermon Bushrod to a one-year deal, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Bushrod himself broke the news, posting a photo on Instagram of himself signing his new contract.

Bushrod, 31, was cut by the Bears last month with a failed physical designation. After suffering a concussion early in the 2015 season, Bushrod was later sidelined by a shoulder injury, which was reportedly the cause of his failed physical designation.

Although injuries woes limited him to 12 games (and four starts) last season, Bushrod had previously been a stalwart at left tackle for the Bears and the Saints. The former fourth-round pick started 62 games for the Saints from 2009 to 2012, earning two Pro Bowl nods. He then started 30 games for Chicago in 2013 and 2014.

The Dolphins believe Bushrod will be back to 100% health in time for training camp, according to Salguero, but given the veteran’s injury issues, it seems unlikely that the Dolphins are penciling him in as a starter. Still, Bushrod figures to push for playing time on a line that currently features tackles Branden Albert, Ja’Wuan James, and Sam Young. Both Albert and James were solid in 2015, so if they remain in the starting lineup for 2016, Bushrod will likely compete for either a starting guard job or the swing tackle role.

In other Dolphins news, the team signed another offensive lineman, guard Jacques McClendon (Twitter link). McClendon spent time in Miami in 2015, but didn’t see much action. The 28-year-old made three starts for the Jaguars in 2014. According to Salguero, the Dolphins may not make a bigger splash than McClendon on the free agent guard market, preferring to address the position in the draft.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins also confirmed (via Twitter) that they’ve officially restructured Byron Maxwell‘s contract, a move that was expected as part of the trade that sent the cornerback to Miami. Maxwell’s deal is expected to remained relatively unchanged for 2016, with alterations starting in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Acquire Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso

March 9th, 2016 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

3:10pm: The Eagles have confirmed the trade on Twitter. Maxwell, Alonso and the 13th pick in the draft will go to Miami for the eighth selection.

10:33am: Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) confirms that the deal, as currently constructed, would send Maxwell, Alonso, and the 13th overall pick to the Dolphins in exchange for the eighth overall pick. We’ll have to wait until the deal becomes official sometime after 3:00pm CT today, but it doesn’t appear any other picks will be involved.

9:50am: Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link) is one of a handful of writers to report that the Eagles/Dolphins trade will once again move forward as planned.

9:41am: Maxwell’s shoulder has been cleared by the Dolphins’ medical staff, according to his agent Alvin Keels (Twitter link). As such, the trade between Miami and Philadelphia should be back on.

7:36am: Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald stresses (via Twitter) that the trade is “not off” yet. The Dolphins are continuing to gather more information to determine their comfort level going forward, says Salguero.

7:06am: According to Werder (via Twitter), the trade would have seen the Dolphins and Eagles swap first-round picks, with Philadelphia moving up from No. 13 to No. 8. Werder adds, however, that the deal can be considered “dead” for the time being.

7:00am: The agreed-upon trade between the Dolphins and Eagles that will send Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to Miami is in limbo, as the new league year approaches, according to multiple reports.

A source initially told Chris Mortensen and Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the trade may be off due to concerns from the Dolphins’ side about Maxwell’s shoulder, which he injured at the end of last season. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) indicates that, while the deal is “held up” as the Dolphins take a closer look at Maxwell’s shoulder, it’s not off yet. Rapoport describes Miami’s examination Maxwell’s health as “concerning, but not abnormal.”

On Monday, the Dolphins and Eagles reached an agreement on a trade involving Maxwell and Alonso, but that agreement was pending physicals. Since no trade can be finalized until the new league year begins at 3:00pm central time today, neither team is necessarily locked into it quite yet.

Still, with both clubs having been pursuing other moves that are somewhat dependent on this trade going through, it would be a major upset if it fell apart — the Dolphins’ concerns about Maxwell’s shoulder would have to be pretty serious.

While we haven’t yet heard what sort of compensation the Eagles will be getting in the deal, it’s worth considering that perhaps news of the Dolphins’ apprehensions has leaked in an effort to encourage Philadelphia to agree to a lesser draft pick in the trade in order to get it done.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this deal as the day progresses.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Agree To Acquire Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso

March 7th, 2016 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

3:15pm: The Dolphins will be taking on Maxwell’s full contract for 2016, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), who adds that the cornerback’s deal will be reworked for 2017.

2:25pm: Maxwell and Alonso have both been informed that they’re being dealt to the Dolphins, pending physicals, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Contract work between the Dolphins and Maxwell is being finalized, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The deal can’t become official until the start of the new league year.

2:02pm: The Dolphins and Eagles are attempting to finalize a trade that would send Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso – another Kelly acquisition – to Miami in exchange for draft-pick compensation, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

10:49am: The Dolphins and Eagles are discussing a trade that would send cornerback Byron Maxwell to Miami, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that it’s “in the works.”

Less than a year ago, Maxwell signed a six-year, $63MM contract to join the Eagles as a free agent. With Chip Kelly no longer making personnel decisions in Philadelphia this offseason, it seems the club is interested in moving on from the former head coach’s most expensive addition.

Maxwell’s contract would leave $4.8MM in dead money on the Eagles’ cap if they were to move him in a trade. For the Dolphins, it would mean taking on a fully guaranteed $8.5MM base salary for 2016, plus a partially guaranteed $10MM base salary ($3MM guaranteed) for 2017. Maxwell’s salaries for 2018 to 2020 are fully non-guaranteed.

In his first season in Philadelphia, Maxwell was underwhelming, though that impression can be attributed to the increased expectations that his huge contract brought with him. Prior to 2015, Maxwell had only made 17 career starts, and the fact that the Seahawks’ secondary also featured Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas certainly helped him look better. As the top option in a weak free agent class of corners, Maxwell got paid more than he should have.

If the Dolphins acquire Maxwell, the team will likely either rework his contract or make additional roster moves to help accommodate the deal. Miami is in the market for help at cornerback, with Brice McCain released and Brent Grimes and Jamar Taylor coming off unspectacular 2015 campaigns. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets, Grimes – whose cap hit is $9.5MM in 2016 – could be affected by a Maxwell trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Deflategate, Bills, Beckham, Cowboys

December 21st, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL filed its final salvo in the Deflategate saga, countering the NFLPA’s 73-page appeal earlier this month with a 38-page response that centers on how the Patriots‘ alleged manipulation of footballs does not compare with uniform or equipment violations as the Players’ Association previously stated.

The case that resulted in Tom Brady being suspended for four games, then being permitted to play during that period by Judge Richard Berman, will reach the appeal stage March 3, 2016.

Let’s look at some more news coming out of the Eastern division as Week 15 wraps up.

Rex Ryan said today he’s “pretty sure” Tyrod Taylor will be the Bills‘ starting quarterback next season, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. After winning a three-man quarterback race as a newly signed free agent this offseason, Taylor will be able to further develop with an entire offseason shaped around him being atop the depth chart, Ryan said. After beating out the since-traded Matt Cassel and ex-first-rounder EJ Manuel, Taylor has completed 63.2% of his passes — although the ex-Ravens backup’s failed to surpass the 60% plateau in each of his past five games — and thrown 20 touchdown passes compared to just five interceptions.
Mario Williams continued his recent path out of Buffalo on Sunday in criticizing Ryan’s defensive scheme, and Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News said the 30-year-old defensive end’s team-high $19.9MM cap number next year makes that an easier decision. Dunne also sees Kyle Williams ($7MM 2016 cap figure) having a potential uphill battle to remaining on the roster.
Odell Beckham took issue with Panthers practice squad players allegedly lobbing homophobic slurs at him before Sunday’s eventful Giants-Panthers game, sources inform Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Jones also notes Beckham was, per sources, intimidated by Panthers defensive backs swinging a baseball bat during pregame warmups, a ritual that’s spawned this season for the unbeaten Panthers. Carolina sources obviously don’t believe the bat routine could have necessitated Beckham’s rampage.
In its letter communicating Beckham’s suspension, the NFL found six violations committed by the Giants second-year wideout, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Two of the three transgressions for which Beckham wasn’t penalized involved punches being thrown. “Your actions adversely reflected on the NFL and have no place in the game because incidents like this erode public confidence in the orderly conduct of our game as well as the good character of our participants,” NFL V.P. of operations Merton Hanks told Beckham in the suspension letter.
Kellen Moore‘s late-season audition for the Cowboys will be for the No. 2 job and won’t influence what the team does this coming offseason in pursuing Tony Romo‘s potential heir apparent, Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The 26-year-old Moore, a UDFA who the Lions cut this year, completed 15-of-25 passes and threw three interceptions against the Jets.
Eagles high-priced corner Byron Maxwell sprained his SC joint in Sunday night’s loss to the Cardinals and may miss Saturday’s pivotal tilt with Washington, Les Bowen of Philly.com reports.

NFC Rumors: Peterson, Fusco, Maxwell, RG3

September 26th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is the latest coming out of NFC facilities, starting with Minnesota.

The NFL and NFLPA reached a settlement to dismiss a motion in the Adrian Peterson case, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. As a result, the NFL will not use the post-Ray Rice scandal domestic violence penalties for incidents occurring before Aug. 28, 2014, which includes the Vikings‘ star running back’s case. Oral arguments in Peterson’s case remain set for Oct. 19 in front of the Eighth Circuit in St. Paul, Minn.
Brandon Fusco played through a concussion in the Vikings’ Week 2 win over the Lions, and the Players Association is investigating whether the ATC spotter failed to take appropriate action when the Minnesota guard struggled to stand up after a third-quarter block involving helmet-to-helmet contact, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The spotters are independent certified athletic trainers present to determine if players suffer concussions who as of this season have authorization to stop games in order to initiate immediate concussion examinations.
Byron Maxwell‘s struggles are flying under the radar compared to those of Sam Bradford and Chip Kelly amid the Eagles‘ 0-2 start, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. In the first month of a six-year, $63MM contract, Maxwell allowed Julio Jones to compile another Monday Night Football highlight package and then admitted to being too fatigued to stop Terrance Williams from scoring last week. Mehta argues matters will worsen for the ex-Seahawks corner when he faces a rejuvenated Brandon Marshall. The 27-year-old Maxwell is the 89th-rated corner thus far, according to Pro Football Focus, and has begun to hear the displeasure of a notoriously impatient fanbase. I feel it. Theyâre cold on me,â Maxwell told the Daily News. That’s fine. Everybody’s got their opinion.”
Florio notes Maxwell’s monstrous agreement with the Eagles is somewhat tenuous at two years and $25MM, with just $3MM of the $10MM salary in 2017 guaranteed. PFT’s top scribe believes that, absent “significant” improvement, Maxwell will be jettisoned after 2016.
In analyzing Washington‘s switch to Kirk Cousins, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap believes the team made this move so Robert Griffin‘s $16.5MM fifth-year option doesn’t become guaranteed due to an injury sustained this season. Expressing shock Washington picked up its maligned third-string signal-caller’s option and tied itself to Griffin further, Fitzgerald notes had this transaction not taken place, Griffin would be the starter, with the team only being on the hook for the fourth-year quarterback’s 2015 salary in the event of an injury.

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