Byron Maxwell has a disappointing debut

ATLANTA - It's no secret that the Eagles' most glaring weakness during the Chip Kelly era has been a porous secondary.

With the exception of safety Malcom Jenkins, who the Birds brought in as a free-agent upgrade last season, they basically cleaned house for 2015.

Not only did they break the bank for eattle Seahawks free-agent corner Byron Maxwell but the Eagles also brought in former Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Cory Undlin to strengthen technique and change the approach to the way the secondary played.

From the moment he stepped in the NovaCare center, Undlin stressed the Eagles' need to cut down on yielding pass-plays of 20 yards or more.

"We're out of the X-plays business," Undlin proclaimed back in June, noting that the 2014 Eagles gave up 18 pass plays of 40 or more yards and 72 of 20 or more.

Maxwell was the big-ticket addition who was supposed to highlight the Eagles new and improved secondary.

He certainly was a highlight in the Eagles' 26-24 season-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons. In fact, Maxwell had a lot of highlights.

Unfortunately for the Eagles most were for doing things that Undlin and the Eagles have preached over and over about guarding against.

After signing a six-year deal worth $63 million with $25 million guaranteed, Maxwell was, by far, the best paid of the Eagles many high-profile changes during the offseason.

Looking at it from a pay-for-play basis, Maxwell was the most disappointing against Atlanta. He was awful against the Falcons.

Not only did he surrender several of the dreaded "X-plays," he also gave up some W, Y and Z ones too.

Football is the ultimate team sport, so rarely is one player fully responsible for a loss - yes, that includes field goal kicker Cody Parker who missed a 44-yard field-goal attempt that would have given the Eagles a lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining - but Maxwell stood out more than anyone.

In the fourth quarter, after the Eagles took a 24-23 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ryan Mathews, Maxwell got beat by Falcons receiver Julio Jones on a 44-yard pass from Matt Ryan that moved the ball from the Atlanta 20-yard line to the Eagles' 36.

It was a simple go-pattern during which Maxwell did not jam, bump or really even touch Jones coming off the line of scrimmage.

That play which eventually led to the 47-yard game-winning field goal by Falcons kicker Matt Bryant was the final in a nightmarish game of bad plays for Maxwell.

Not only did Maxwell get beat by Jones for a 22-yard touchdown with less than a minute remaining in the first half, he also got toasted on 23-, 22- and 14-yard catches by Roddy White and was flagged for an 18-yard pass interference penalty.

It was only the first game and Maxwell certainly wasn't the only Eagle to make mistakes, but his performance was disconcerting nevertheless.

Because Maxwell played opposite All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman and had Pro Bowl safeties Earl Thomas and Cam Chancellor supporting him in Seattle, the perception was the Eagles had overpaid for a player who was effective within the team concept of the Seattle defense, but had not shown he was capable of being a top-notch shutdown corner.

Much of that speculation was based on the fact that Maxwell had started just 17 games during the first four years of his career.

For Maxwell it was a case of having a career year just at the time he was becoming a free agent and the need for cornerbacks in the league was more demand than supply.

The Eagles were not operating from a position of strength. Their need at cornerback was desperate and Maxwell was one of the best available in free agency.

It was a case of almost anyone being an improvement over Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams.

They did not have the luxury of debating whether or not Maxwell's play in 2014 was the result of the Seattle system or the fact that he was playing for a new contract.

It was a gamble they didn't have much choice but to make.

Again it's only the first game and when a team brings in two new corners, a safety and a nickel back, there is a cohesion that can only be developed during the pressure of NFL games that count.

Atlanta's passing game of Ryan, Jones and White is talented enough to give any secondary trouble.

The Falcons did not shy away from Maxwell and while it may have seemed like all of the combined 19 catches for 225 yards by Jones and White came at his expense, they did not.

Still, the Eagles had to upgrade their secondary because they play in a division with top receivers such as Dallas' Dez Bryant, New York's Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz and Washington's DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon.

The schedule also features play-making receivers like Calvin Johnson of Detroit, John Brown and Larry Fitzgerald of Arizona and Sammy Watkins of Buffalo.

A big part of what the Eagles hope to accomplish in the secondary is tied into Maxwell. In Game 1 against the Falcons, he wasn't worth the money.