Byron Maxwell: Surveying Potential Baltimore Ravens Free Agent Targets

Nov 23, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Jaron Brown (13) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell (41) after making a reception during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

As we head into the offseason and prepare for the craziness that is NFL free agency, we thought it would be fun to take a look ahead at some players that the Ravens might be interested in pursuing. While we can all dream about seeing our favorite team signing guys like Dez Bryant or Justin Houston (both free agents this year), we’re going to be a little more realistic and only look at players that might actually hit the market and draw interest from the Ravens.

Cornerback is, unarguably, the most talent deficient position on the Ravens’ current roster. The plan of playing this season with Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb composing a formidable duo in the defensive backfield backfired in a big way, perhaps destroying the chances this otherwise talent stacked team had at a Super Bowl. The team did the best it could with street free agents and guys playing out of position, but this offseason presents a great chance to infuse their secondary with talent.

Byron Maxwell fits the bill as a guy who exhibits toughness on what is the most physical secondary in the NFL. He is still growing as a player and has a high ceiling, and he has flashed playmaking ability over the last two seasons.

The Ravens will likely need to lean on both free agency and the draft to restock their roster with NFL level talent at the cornerback position. With Lardarius Webb regressing and due an untenable salary in 2015, it would make a lot of sense to bring in a guy who already has starting experience, one that preferably is young and has a high ceiling. Obviously the team can’t afford to sign a big name free agent, but they don’t necessarily need to.

One player that makes a lot of sense as a free agent target is Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell. Only 26 years old and set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Maxwell has the look of a budding star but should be available for a reasonable price. Maxwell has been bestowed with both the benefits and the curse of playing next to two of the games very best in Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. This might be why Byron Maxwell hasn’t become more of a household name.

Maxwell gave up a mere 2 touchdowns on 71 targets during the 2014 regular season despite playing next to two perennial Pro Bowlers. He finished the season ranked 45th out of 109 qualifying cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus. That is higher than any of the many cornerbacks the Ravens used last season except for Jimmy Smith, who ranked 20th. Maxwell has good size at 6′ 1″ and 207 pounds as a former 6th round pick out of Clemson.

Playing sparingly his first two seasons, Maxwell has come on the last two. In 2014, he appeared in 13 games and recorded 39 tackles, a fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, and 12 passes defensed. In 2013 Maxwell played in all 16 games and recorded 28 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 4 interceptions, and 12 passes defensed.

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This season the Ravens not only ranked a lowly 21st in the NFL in pass defense, they also lacked playmakers in the defensive backfield. That piecemeal unit finished the regular season 21st in interceptions with 12 and 25th in passes defensed with 66. This, despite finishing as the 9th ranked unit in total defense and 4th against the run. This is a defense that is only a couple of talented secondary players away from being elite.

Byron Maxwell fits the bill as a guy who exhibits toughness on what is the most physical secondary in the NFL. He is still growing as a player and has a high ceiling, and he has flashed playmaking ability over the last two seasons. Maxwell is also a good bet to come at an affordable price thanks to his good but not great stats and the fact that he has been overshadowed by his well-known teammates. He is also a guy that can walk in to Baltimore and be an immediate starter on a horrible unit. And for those reasons, Byron Maxwell is a guy the Baltimore Ravens should target in free agency.