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Jets Trade Rumors: Marcus Maye Talks Held amid Jamal Adams Contract Buzz
May 4, 2020
If the New York Jets plan to keep star safety Jamal Adams for the long haul, it will likely come at the cost of a massive contract extension. That factor, combined with the team's use of a third-round pick on safety Ashtyn Davis, has left Marcus Maye's future in doubt.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets "have had trade discussions involving Maye." Per that report, it isn't the first time such discussions have been explored:
"Adam Gase wanted to trade Maye upon getting hired last year before level-headed voices convinced him that it would be a mistake (because he's a very good player), team sources said. General manager Joe Douglas has fielded trade inquiries and engaged in discussions about Maye in the past year, but chose to keep the free safety (because he's a very good player)."
Multiple sources told ProFootballTalk, however, that the Jets have not been shopping Maye.
"Beyond fake news," one source told ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio.
Maye, 27, registered 65 tackles, an interception and seven passes defended in 2019. He's been an excellent deep safety for the Jets, pairing nicely with the highly regarded Adams.
The question, however, is whether the Jets can pay both players. Maye will be a free agent after the 2020 season and will surely garner interest around the NFL should he hit the open market.
And with the Jets already scheduled to pay Adams his $9.8 million fifth-year option next year—and a far more expensive contract extension or franchise-tag tender following that—the question in New York is just how much money they want to tie up in the position going forward.
Trading Maye now would give the Jets a chance to recoup some assets if they aren't intent on re-signing him next offseason. And the addition of Davis provides the Jets with cover at the position, though Gase has spoken this offseason about the defensive flexibility the trio offers.
"Marcus and Jamal are so versatile with all the things that they can do," he said, per Mehta. "Now, all of a sudden you got three guys that can do the same thing, where they're all moving all over the place. It makes it difficult for an offense to kind of know what’s going on. For us to have the ability to be able to do that...how much we do it, time will tell."
It seems only time will tell if Maye stays with the Jets, too.