Byron Maxwell says he's 'not in control' of cornerback competition

Despite a clear and present threat to his starting job by Alterraun Verner, Dolphins corner Byron Maxwell believes he’s played “pretty good” over the past two weeks.

The coaching staff might disagree.

They’ve opened up the competition for Maxwell’s spot on the field, with Adam Gase saying Sunday that “we’re going to play the best guys.”

When asked Monday about possibly being benched for the second time in as many years, Maxwell responded:

“It is what it is. It's nothing that I can control. ... I'm not in control.”

Maxwell can control one thing: How he plays. He needs to show the consistency he had during the second half of last year, Adam Gase said Monday. Gase left open the possibility of platooning Maxwell and Verner.

The Dolphins surely hope that this week’s development will help focus and motivate Maxwell in the same way his benching a year ago did.

“Preseason is [the time] to work out the kinks,” Maxwell said. “... We've got a chance to be great. We can score on defense. I feel like we can be very explosive. We've got a chance to do something. We've just got to keep working, and ironing out the details. But I'm excited about this year.”

This story was originally published August 28, 2017 at 2:05 PM with the headline "Byron Maxwell says he's 'not in control' of cornerback competition."