NY Jets News: Marcus Maye reportedly on the trade block
By Justin Fried
In NY Jets news, safety Marcus Maye has been the center of trade discussions, per a recent report from Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News.
The NY Jets news never ends as reports have emerged that the team is having trade discussions centering around safety Marcus Maye.
The report comes from Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News who iterated on Monday that the Jets are currently looking to move Maye — and that this isn’t the first time they’ve looked to do so.
Mehta insisted that head coach Adam Gase tried to do the same when he was first hired last offseason before “level-headed voices convinced him that it would be a mistake.”
Maye is a very good player, but this news honestly shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
The Jets drafted Cal safety Ashtyn Davis in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. While the initial thought was that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams could get creative with him and find him a spot on defense, in reality, he may be set to take over Marcus Maye’s job sooner rather than later.
Maye is set to make just $1.4 million in 2020 while playing on the last year of his contract. The Jets would love to re-sign him, but it ultimately may not be that simple.
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That primarily has to do with Maye’s position-mate, Jamal Adams, who is due a record-breaking extension in the near future. If the Jets are intent on keeping Adams in town — which they should be — it makes paying Maye much more unreasonable.
Maye will command a hefty payday as well given it will likely be the 27-year-old’s only shot at unrestricted free agency. With so many other holes on the roster, the Jets can ill-afford to have two of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL.
And rest assured, if Maye can stay healthy in 2020 and play at the same level once again, that’s exactly where he’s headed.
General manager Joe Douglas knows this. That’s why the Jets were proactive in drafting Davis in the third round and that’s why these trade discussions are taking place.
Marcus Maye might not be long for New York and it seems almost certain that he won’t be on the team in 2021. The question now remains, does the team trade him before he walks in free agency or let him sign with a new team in the offseason and recoup the compensatory draft pick?
Only time will tell.