There would be no Carson Wentz in Philadelphia had the Eagles not traded away Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso a year ago.
Back in March of 2016, the Eagles swapped Maxwell, Alonso, and the 13th overall pick for Miami's eighth overall pick just about a month before the 2016 NFL Draft. The Eagles then moved the No. 8 pick as well as a slew of other draft picks to the Browns for the eventual No. 2 overall selection that was used to select Wentz. However, it was the initial deal that sent Maxwell and Alonso off that got the ball rolling.
After the first joint practice between the Eagles and Dolphins on Monday afternoon at the NovaCare Complex, Maxwell and Alonso spoke about their time with the Eagles.
"The things that happened in Philadelphia made me a better leader for Miami," Maxwell acknowledged. "It made me a better football player and a better person, so I was able to handle getting benched in Miami and then bounce back. It was tough in Philly. Just losing your coach, so it helped to go through all of that."
Maxwell joined the Eagles during the 2015 offseason after spending his first four seasons in Seattle. Maxwell started in 14 contests and came away with two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a career-high 64 tackles.
"I was surprised but you know something just wasn't right. You usually hear from your coaches in the offseason and I didn't hear from any of them so it was like I might be on the move," the cornerback said. "But I'm happy. I'm glad they made that choice. It worked out for both of us. They got a quarterback. I'm on a winning team so I'm good."
Nonetheless, the exchange lit a fire under Maxwell and he used the move as motivation.
"I'd be lying if I tell you that I don't want to do better than the Eagles do. I do. I want to win more games than them. I want to prove them wrong," he said.
On the other hand, his fellow teammate was unmoved.
"Not really," Alonso answered when asked if he was shocked by the trade. "It was the second time I got traded and I was definitely more surprised the first time around but given the year we had I wasn't that surprised."
In his stint with the Eagles, Alonso played 11 games and came away with an interception during his debut outing against the Falcons. Before the season concluded, former coach Chip Kelly - who was also Alonso's head coach at Oregon – was let go and the long-term status of Kelly's former players in Philadelphia was in question.
"I didn't really get caught up in that," the linebacker admitted. "I just go with the flow. They traded me, I was like, 'All right, I'm going to Miami.'"
The two Dolphins got a taste of Wentz's playmaking ability for the first time prior to Thursday's matchup. Maxwell disclosed that he had been keeping track of Wentz and stated the second-year quarterback "did well" and "made a couple passes" during Monday's practice. Alonso offered, "He's a good player. They've got a good offense and they've got a lot of weapons."
There is no doubt that Maxwell will be motivated to outplay his former team come Thursday's preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field, but he understood why he and Alonso were shipped away from Philadelphia in the first place.
"It was obvious," Maxwell claimed. "They needed a quarterback."
The Dolphins are in town for their preseason game against the Eagles this Thursday night. Check out all the photos from today's joint practice...
![Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and Dolphins head coach Adam Gase](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/w6zkf7qi3blmlmclgem9.jpg)
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and Dolphins head coach Adam Gase
![RB Darren Sproles and RB Jay Ajayi](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/wyt01bskpoxjpnucmfvr.jpg)
RB Darren Sproles and RB Jay Ajayi
![RB Darren Sproles and WR Jarvis Landry](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/tiv7esh9rblel9yhjx95.jpg)
RB Darren Sproles and WR Jarvis Landry
![CB Ron Brooks](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/vvrmux97eukiwaebcxty.jpg)
CB Ron Brooks
![RB Jay Ajayi and DT Elijah Qualls](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/fefnglmf8an2dhyqim0s.jpg)
RB Jay Ajayi and DT Elijah Qualls
![G Dallas Thomas](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/ceduvpoh6gcmmgo9ct2z.jpg)
G Dallas Thomas
![G/C Stefen Wisniewski](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/ggmro2ibbzchothvr9si.jpg)
G/C Stefen Wisniewski
![G Chance Warmack](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/dqttlb3wipniclfamibj.jpg)
G Chance Warmack
![LB Jordan Hicks and LB Kamu Grugier-Hill](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/nofs4iqmxfb521ieb2o2.jpg)
LB Jordan Hicks and LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
![Team on three!](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/lfezd6byhobo1ncdoygt.jpg)
Team on three!
![WR Jarvis Landry and CB Ronald Darby](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/wzsoo5vedwspdodkjpiq.jpg)
WR Jarvis Landry and CB Ronald Darby
![Fly Eagles Fly!](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/nviicb990rymef9rnfts.jpg)
Fly Eagles Fly!
![DT Destiny Vaeao](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/utcmgqdmr2msp7letarx.jpg)
DT Destiny Vaeao
![LB Mychal Kendricks](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/kftnu4n6pooxx6j5yivk.jpg)
LB Mychal Kendricks
![The line](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/z1bgxemchpllsirs8jh5.jpg)
The line
![CB Xavien Howard and WR Alshon Jeffery](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/flb4gnwad4nzdevxzqp6.jpg)
CB Xavien Howard and WR Alshon Jeffery
![TE Brent Celek](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/int2gocay90y8m5cj0hk.jpg)
TE Brent Celek
![WR Alshon Jeffery and CB Byron Maxwell](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/g6wmmwtl7yqudmhzzzcc.jpg)
WR Alshon Jeffery and CB Byron Maxwell
![QB Nick Foles](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/zwswyceqn4xacypunt7u.jpg)
QB Nick Foles
![WR Nelson Agholor and CB Byron Maxwell](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/rfxqcyg6zlpdwwd9h5re.jpg)
WR Nelson Agholor and CB Byron Maxwell
![CB Ron Brooks](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/wb0idab27acdsr28pi3c.jpg)
CB Ron Brooks
![DT Tim Jernigan](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/xwirk7d2z6sgb0mcgbel.jpg)
DT Tim Jernigan
![CB Jalen Mills](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/ts4nrfrwz9hdfo65nyrn.jpg)
CB Jalen Mills
![LB Kiko Alonso and LB Nigel Bradham](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/ctxxdtngqseyvdk6ezve.jpg)
LB Kiko Alonso and LB Nigel Bradham
![RB Wendell Smallwood](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/wbwsfyvip1a1xjdsp8vl.jpg)
RB Wendell Smallwood
![S Rodney McLeod](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/mspouwa7zm4vtzfhttoy.jpg)
S Rodney McLeod
![DT Destiny Vaeao and G Isaac Asiata](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/geg9ebqwtedjclvzujvk.jpg)
DT Destiny Vaeao and G Isaac Asiata
![WR Torrey Smith](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/twujanvbtqwxb7dl0d1e.jpg)
WR Torrey Smith
![DE Cameron Wake and T Lane Johnson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/ktcivawinbvbmmif4zvz.jpg)
DE Cameron Wake and T Lane Johnson
![QB Carson Wentz](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/boihod7z2ke1r4akdhmz.jpg)
QB Carson Wentz
![WR Alshon Jeffery and CB Xavien Howard](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/pr5hk4bsgu7gw6x9p332.jpg)
WR Alshon Jeffery and CB Xavien Howard
![WR Marcus Johnson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/eagles/ry8vp30o9qrpwng89box.jpg)
WR Marcus Johnson