If a player is good somewhere else, he’ll stink when he’s here. It’s basically a guarantee in Philadelphia sports lore. The reverse is also true: If someone stinks here, they’ll go somewhere else and be great. Byron Maxwell has experienced both. He was good in Seattle, bottom of the barrel trash here, and now he’s reborn in Miami (so is Kiko Alonso).

But is Byron Maxwell the best corner in the league? Yes, according to Byron Maxwell. He stated his “best in the league” status in response to someone saying it was Patrick Peterson (it is). Maxwell replied:

“Man, listen, if he wants to say that, he can say that. I’m pretty sure he believes that. Just like I believe I’m the best. Nothing against him, he is a great cornerback. The answer depends on who you ask.”

The answer really does depend on who you ask. If you ask anyone, it’s not Byron Maxwell. If you ask Byron Maxwell, it’s Byron Maxwell. But then again, if you ask most corners in the league, they’ll say it’s them. As NFL.com’s Conor Orr perfectly put it: “Every cornerback is the best cornerback” (except maybe Leodis McKelvin).

I really want to shit on Maxwell for being off base here (and he is), but mostly I’m pissed that he didn’t have this confidence/effort/ability/whatever when he was here. He was a mess, and I’m still mad about it.