Byron Maxwell could be underrated star in 2014
When most people think of the Legion of Boom, it’s rare that the name Byron Maxwell is the first association to the Seahawks secondary.
Most people think of outspoken Richard Sherman, or hard-hitting Kam Chancellor, or backfield patrolman Earl Thomas.
But Byron Maxwell?
At the end of the 2013 season, Maxwell proved his worth in the NFL’s best secondary, but few people gave him the credit he deserved.
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Maxwell played in all 19 games for the Seahawks last year, though he only started in eight. However, it’s what he accomplished in those eight games that should have garnered more attention than it did.
He had at least one interception in three of the final four games of the Seahawks regular season, and, when the postseason began, he helped shut down the likes of Drew Brees, Colin Kaepernick and then Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl.
He finished the regular season with 28 tackles, four interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and 12 passes defended. Not too shabby for a guy that started the year as a backup.
In the postseason, he had at least three tackles in each of the three games and forced a fumble in the Super Bowl.
Yet still, Maxwell doesn’t seem to get the credit he is due.
In 2014, as the projected starter at corner back opposite Sherman, he will get a chance to show that he belongs on the Seahawks defense.
He has excellent size (6-foot-1, 207 pounds) that complements his exceptional coverage skills. Maxwell is a smart defender that can make his presence known without creating a devastating hit on receivers.
Brandon Browner‘s shoes were big ones to fill last year, but Maxwell filled them well.
Now entering his fourth year out of Clemson, Maxwell should prove that the fourth spot on the Legion of Boom is his to keep.
Look out for Maxwell to come into the season with something to prove. Even though the Seahawks lost Browner and Walter Thurmond, they have a great cover-corner in Maxwell.
The 2014 campaign can’t come soon enough.