HEADLINES

Marcus Maye

Saints To Sign S Marcus Maye

March 15th, 2022 at 9:40pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints have added a big-name free agent to their secondary. New Orleans is signing safety Marcus Maye, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

Maye got a three-year, $28.5MM deal from New Orleans, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The deal contains $15MM in guaranteed money.

Maye’s 2021 did not go especially well. A DUI arrest came shortly after tense negotiations with the Jets, who did not finalize a long-term extension by the July deadline. Maye played the season on the franchise tag but suffered an Achilles tear, limiting him to only six games. The former second-round pick started 32 games for New York between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

It was only a few hours ago that we heard the Jets were keeping an eye on their free agent. Connor Hughes of The Athletic confirms (on Twitter) that the Jets were interested in re-signing the safety, but Maye ended up taking the better offer.

The Saints, meanwhile, watched as safety Marcus Williams left for Baltimore earlier today. The defensive back got a whopping five-year, $70MM deal from the Ravens, so New Orleans certainly got a discount by pivoting to Maye.

Jets Open To Bringing Back Marcus Maye?

March 15th, 2022 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Long expected to part ways with Marcus Maye, the Jets may be keen on salvaging this relationship. The veteran safety remains on the team’s radar, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.

Another Maye agreement coming to fruition would crowd things at safety for the Jets, who have re-signed Lamarcus Joyner and agreed to terms with ex-Bucs back-line defender Jordan Whitehead. Former third-round pick Ashtyn Davis remains under contract as well.

Maye’s 2021 did not go especially well. A DUI arrest came shortly after tense negotiations with the Jets, who did not finalize a long-term extension by the July deadline. Maye played the season on the franchise tag but suffered an Achilles tear. Despite this, Maye still has several fans in the building, Connor Hughes of The Athletic notes (on Twitter).

This would be an interesting move for the Jets, with Maye not only predating the Robert Saleh staff but going back to Todd Bowles‘ Jets stay. The former Jamal Adams tandem partner has started 60 games with the Jets, playing especially well in 2020, when Pro Football Focus graded Maye as the No. 5 overall safety.

Jets’ Berrios, Fatukasi Likely To Test Free Agency

February 11th, 2022 at 11:49am CST by Adam La Rose

With free agency looming, the Jets face some key decisions as they try to retain players that will help their rebuild. The two names at the top of the list, when it comes to 2022 free agents, are wide receiver/returner Braxton Berrios and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes, New York could be in tough to keep both of them.

Much has already been reported about Berrios, and the type of contract he is expected to be looking for on the open market. Fatukasi, likewise, is expected to command one of the biggest contracts amongst pending Jets free agents. As Cimini writes, “the Jets want to keep both players and have been talking to their agents”, but “there’s a good chance they get to market”.

Berrios put up intriguing numbers, especially late in the season, which has been the source of buzz that he could land somewhere around $9MM per season on a new deal. Cimini cautions, though, that “it would be a surprise if the Jets go that high”, given the money already invested in fellow receivers Jamison Crowder and Keelan Cole. 

As for Fatukasi, his play in 2021 has earned him a payday in New York or elsewhere. The 27-year-old was highly effective stopping the run, but failed to develop an effective pass rush. For that reason, he is “thought to be seeking about $8MM per year”. Again, however, the team already has sizeable commitments in other areas across the defensive front. Losing Fatukasi would be a blow to a unit that, even with him, ranked 29th against the run last year.

Cimini also posits that safety Marcus Maye is likely headed elsewhere. The 28-year-old was charged with a DUI this past October, and suffered a torn Achilles one month later. While he “has some support within the organization”, Cimini writes, “it sounds like this relationship has probably run its course”.

With decisions needing to be made around other veterans, including Crowder, for instance, the Jets face what appears to be an uphill battle to keep their best pending free agents. How much they are willing to spend to keep them – or, perhaps more realistically, which one they decide to prioritize over the others – will dictate much of the rest of their offseason, as they look to take a step forward in 2022.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/21

November 9th, 2021 at 6:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Jets S Marcus Maye Suffers Torn Achilles

November 5th, 2021 at 1:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marcus Maye‘s season is over, and his prospects for a lucrative long-term deal in 2022 absorbed a brutal blow Thursday night. The fifth-year Jets safety suffered a torn Achilles, the team confirmed Friday.

Maye went down during the Jets’ loss to the Colts and faces extensive rehab that would may well derail the kind of contract he was set to seek in free agency. The Jets franchise-tagged Maye this year, but everything pointed to a 2022 free agency exit.

The Jets and Maye could not agree on an extension at the mid-July deadline, which followed contentious negotiations. Maye did not request a trade, but it was widely expected the sides were set to separate come March. This Achilles injury will sideline Maye well into the 2022 offseason and potentially set him up for a prove-it deal — from either the Jets or another team — rather than a high-end safety pact.

The former second-round pick missed time earlier this year because of an ankle injury but returned in late October. He made six starts this season, but the year certainly proved costly. Although trade interest emerged ahead of the deadline, the Jets’ lofty asking price kept Maye in New York. Maye was also arrested for DUI earlier this year and did not inform the Jets of the incident for months. This injury puts a bow on a tough year for the accomplished defender.

Teams Showing Interest In Jets WRs Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims

November 1st, 2021 at 10:13pm CST by Ben Levine

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, teams are looking toward New York for some receiver help. According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, Jets wideouts Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims “have emerged as hot names on the market.” The Saints and Packers are among the teams seeking help at the position, per the report.

However, while teams may have interest in the two receivers, they’re also skeptical if the Jets will be willing to trade the duo. While Zach Wilson is currently out of the lineup, the team is still looking to put him in a position to succeed, and removing two wideouts certainly wouldn’t help that cause.

Mims has been mentioned as a potential target for some time. He was a second-round pick by the Jets in 2020, but he’s been limited to only 14 games through one-plus season. He’s been buried on the depth chart in 2021, although he got his first start during yesterday’s win over the Bengals, hauling in a pair of receptions. Considering Mims’ draft stock, it’d be surprising to see the organization bail on the player this early in his career.

Crowder, 28, makes a bit more sense as a trade piece. The veteran missed the first four games of the season, but he’s been productive since returning to the field, hauling in 23 catches for 203 yards. Crowder is set to hit free agency following the 2021 season.

Meanwhile, it sounds like the Jets will continue to hear offers on safety Marcus Maye. ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes that the Jets want a second- or third-round pick in return, but the team is struggling to find a team that will give up those assets. Some suitors want the Jets to eat part of Maye’s salary, which could end up holding up a trade.

AFC East Notes: Maye, Bills, Dolphins, Pats

October 28th, 2021 at 10:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Playing on the franchise tag, Marcus Maye continues to be viewed as on the way out for the Jets. Whether his exit will come via deadline trade or in free agency next year remains to be seen, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes there is interest in the fifth-year safety ahead of the Nov. 2 deadline. While Maye’s $10.6MM franchise tag salary is prohibitive, he is a fifth-year starter who could be an impact rental player. A team acquiring Maye also would allow for exclusive negotiating rights between season’s end and free agency, though Maye giving the 2022 market a try after being tagged would make sense. Maye said last week he has not requested a trade, but contentious negotiations with the Jets did not produce a summer deal. And Maye’s DUI arrest may only further distance him from the Jets, whom he did not inform about the arrest for months after the fact.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Going into the 2021 free agency period, the Dolphins‘ regret from their 2020 spending spree influenced a quieter tour through this year’s market, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. The pandemic-reduced salary cap impacted Miami, like it did all teams, but the Dolphins spent just $25.4MM in guarantees this year. They allocated $147.2MM in total contracts in 2020, and the results helped lead the team to its 1-6 place. Byron Jones has not lived up to his then-record deal, and the Dolphins moved on from Shaq Lawson, Kyle Van Noy and Ereck Flowers after one season.
  • Bills defensive ends Mario Addison and Jerry Hughes have been discussed as trade targets around the league, per Graziano. Buffalo has done well to bolster its defensive line, and Addison and Hughes are 30-somethings in contract years. That said, it is difficult to see the Bills parting with either given their status as Super Bowl contenders. Hughes, 33, has started every game for Buffalo this year — his eighth as a Bills first-stringer — while first-rounder Gregory Rousseau has displaced Addison as a starter. Addison, 34, and Hughes have combined for just 1.5 sacks, but each certainly helps Buffalo with D-line depth.
  • The contract the Patriots gave ex-Lions second-rounder Jahlani Tavai runs through the 2022 season, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss, who writes the ex-Day 2 pick is likely being evaluated for a bigger role next season. The Patriots have Dont’a Hightower, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jamie Collins on expiring contracts, giving Tavai a chance to grow from a seldom-used defender to a more prominent player in 2022. Tavai is set to make just $965K next year.
  • The extension the Patriots gave ex-Dolphins starter Raekwon McMillan calls for a $1MM base salary in 2022, per Reiss, who adds the Pats included $300K in playing-time incentives for the rehabbing linebacker. McMillan tore an ACL early in Pats camp but will have a shot to make next year’s team. The Pats included a $50K roster bonus for McMillan, if he remains with the team March 22.

Jets’ Marcus Maye Has Not Requested Trade

October 22nd, 2021 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marcus Maye makes sense as a trade candidate, being on the franchise tag after contentious negotiations this summer. The fifth-year safety also recently revealed a DUI arrest to the team, after not disclosing it after it when it took place in February.

After missing two games, Maye was back on the field after the Jets’ bye week. He is set to return to action in Week 7. Despite Maye’s agent indicating his client would be healthy by the trade deadline, in a clear attempt to generate outside interest, the former Jets second-round pick said he has not issued a trade request.

[RELATED: Assessing Maye’s Trade Value] 

“[The Jets] know I want to be here,” Maye said, via the New York Post’s Mark Sanchez. “They know I’m 100% with my guys and teammates and things like that. So, I’m here.”

This certainly does not ensure Maye will be a Jet to close out this season. When asked if he would welcome a trade, Maye responded, “That’s not up to me.” Maye, 28, saw Jamal Adams‘ trade request granted last summer. Adams has since signed a safety-record contract. Maye will be in position to cash in next year, and the Jets are unlikely to pay up to keep him. The current Jets regime did not draft Maye, who would cost $12.7MM on a second franchise tag in 2022.

More than $5MM in salary remains on Maye’s contract, which stands to affect his trade value. But with the Jets potentially moving on come 2022, it would make sense for the team to consider collecting an asset. Though, they would need to compare any team’s offer with that of a potential 2023 compensatory pick.

Trade Candidate: Jets S Marcus Maye

October 14th, 2021 at 8:40am CST by Zachary Links

Now in his fifth pro season, Marcus Maye stands as the Jets’ longest-tenured player. But, with the NFL’s November 2 trade deadline fast approaching, that could all change in the coming days.

The Jets slapped Maye with the franchise tag earlier this offseason, but the two sides couldn’t come to terms on an extension. Both sides spent the summer saying all the right things. Jets GM Joe Douglas told reporters that be would work towards long-term deal with the young safety. Maye, meanwhile, said he’d focus on football and worry about negotiations later.

“Once [I was tagged], I just put it to the side and got back to the basics of playing football,” he said (via the team website). “Once I get on the grass I never worry about anything else.”

“Winning games is first, that’s what you play the game for. Also taking care of your family and making sure you’re set up for the future. Control the controllables. If you have no control over something, there’s no point in getting all upset. If you’re not here to win games, then what are you doing this for?”

Things have changed since then. For starters, Maye suffered an ankle injury in September that still has him on the sidelines. Then, in early October, we learned that the 28-year-old has been charged with a DUI and a pair of misdemeanors. The incident occurred in February; the Jets were not aware of the incident until it went public.

Maye’s agent recently tweeted that his client will be ready to play by the trade deadline, a clear attempt to drum up interest. His DUI and failure to notify the Jets may be a red flag for clubs, however. Ditto for his salary — any club acquiring him would have to pay him the prorated portion of his $10.6MM salary. And, of course, he’d only be a rental.

Still, Maye offers upside. The former second-rounder has started in each of his 57 games in the NFL, including 32-straight starts between 2019 and 2020. Last year, he finished with a career-high 88 stops to go along with two sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Those credentials could appeal to contenders like the Buccaneers and Rams, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler suggested this week. Old pal Todd Bowles knows Maye’s capabilities first-hand and could use some support with Sean Murphy-Bunting and Antoine Winfield Jr. sidelined. The Rams, meanwhile, would love the extra firepower as they chase the Cardinals. Besides, it’d be an opportunity to reunite Maye with Jalen Ramsey, bolstering a secondary that has allowed 271 passing yards per contest.

There are plenty of possibilities for the Jets and Maye. Right now, there’s only one that seems unlikely – a second franchise tag in the spring for approximately $12MM.

Jets S Marcus Maye Charged With DUI

October 4th, 2021 at 7:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Jets safety Marcus Maye is facing charges stemming from a February car crash and subsequent DUI arrest, reports ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

Maye was arrested on February 22nd in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Per Cimini, the 28-year-old was charged with DUI and two misdemeanors: “DUI/damage to property and person and leaving the scene of a crash.” Maye posted a $1.5K bond and is set for a Zoom hearing on October 20. Maye is also facing a $30K-plus civil suit from the driver of the car he crashed into.

According to Cimini, it appears that neither the NFL nor the Jets were previously aware of the incident. The arrest will already subject Maye to the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but he could face additional punishment for not disclosing the arrest.

“It is an ongoing legal matter and our attorney has advised us we cannot comment,” Maye’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, said in a statement to ESPN. “We are confident it will be positively resolved. We look forward to Marcus getting back on the field soon.”

The 2017 second-round pick has spent his entire career in New York, starting each of his 57 games. He had a career year in 2020, finishing with 88 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Maye was slapped with the franchise tag this offseason, locking him into a $10.6MM deal for 2021.

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