BYRON MAXWELL was barely an Eagle last May when he guaranteed to a reporter that he would be participating in his third consecutive Super Bowl this February. He based this not on the trade that had landed a former first-round pick as quarterback, or the signings of two elite level running backs, or even the fertile football mind of Chip Kelly.
He based this not simply because of the trade that had landed a former first-round pick as quarterback, or the signings of two elite-level running backs, or even the fertile football mind of Chip Kelly. Nor was it about himself or any guarantee to deliver on a contract that will pay him as much as $63 million over the course of the next six seasons.