Falcons work out former Seahawks, Eagles cornerback Byron Maxwell

The Atlanta Falcons appear to be in the market for a defensive back at the moment, as they worked out four of them today. One of them is a name that will be very familiar to the bulk of Falcons fans, given the roasting he endured at the hands of Julio Jones.

That name is Byron Maxwell. Once a highly-regarded cornerback for the Seahawks who started 17 games in two years under Dan Quinn, Maxwell went to the Eagles and then was swapped to the Dolphins, with very mixed success at both stops. He hadn’t had a workout, as far as anyone knew, since the Dolphins unceremoniously dumped him.

Maxwell has the size and length to be a very solid cornerback, and even though he’s 29 years old, a return to a Quinn defense might be what the doctor ordered for him. I wouldn’t ever expect Maxwell to be more than a strong reserve, but with the Falcons apparently sniffing around defensive back depth, Maxwell is far from the worst available choice. After all, he can’t play Julio Jones if he’s on the Falcons, right?

What’s going on here, though? Chances are the Falcons aren’t shopping around for a Desmond Trufant or Robert Alford replacement, given that such a move would be idiotic. There were some reports that Alford was limping during the Panthers game Sunday, however, and then there’s the small matter that Jalen Collins will be returning from suspension soon, with no clear indication of what kind of role he’ll be returning to, if any.

If the Falcons are sniffing around for a Collins replacement or if they just need a quick replacement for Alford for a week or two, Maxwell wouldn’t be the worst choice. I’m hopeful these will just prove to be workouts, though, and the team’s strong corps of cornerbacks will be set to go against the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday.