Byron Maxwell is taking his talents out of Miami -- and not by his own choice.
Pro Football Talk reported Tuesday that the veteran cornerback has been released by the Dolphins less than two years after Miami acquired him in a package deal from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 29-year-old defensive back is just two years removed from landing a $63 million contract from the Eagles, who made him the latest product of the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning secondary to get a big-money opportunity. And yet, with the Dolphins, who landed him along with linebacker Kiko Alonso in exchange for the No. 8 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Maxwell was in and out of the lineup thanks to a combination of injuries and coaching concerns.
After recording two interceptions in 13 starts for Miami in 2016, Maxwell mostly rode the bench this season, and when he sat out Sunday's win over the New York Jets, it was the fourth straight game coaches opted not to activate him. He had previously been benched after apparently failing to line up properly during games.
From Maxwell's eyes, getting jettisoned for the second time in roughly as many years isn't necessarily a good look for a player who was once heralded as a high-upside free agent out of Seattle. Financially speaking, though, the ex-Legion of Boom member may very well benefit from his abrupt release, according to PFT:
The fact that the move came a week before the trade deadline means he'll instantly become a free agent. And the termination pay provision of the labor deal means he'll be able to collect the balance of his $8.5 million base salary as termination pay, and then to sign with another team and keep whatever he makes there.
