Shortly after accepting the New York Jets’ franchise tag, safety Marcus Maye took to Twitter in order to shout out Keanu Neal’s name.
“Hey, I remember you. You’re the guy I used to tear it up with down in Gainesville, FL. Let’s do it again.”
This is what Marcus Maye must be telling himself on this day. On the same day reports about his decision to accept the New York Jets franchise offer surfaced, Maye decided to shout out former college teammate Keanu Neal’s name on Twitter.
Keanu Neal and Marcus Maye Highlights "2 Phones" [HD] https://t.co/4eo71z1h0x via @YouTube @Keanu_Neal
— Marcus Maye (@alldayMAYE) March 20, 2021
Is it a recruitment effort or a preview of things to come in 2021?
Neal, 25, has been rumored to have already cut down his list of next destinations to just two teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Jets, per Josina Anderson.
I'm told #Falcons free agent S Keanu Neal is currently deciding between playing WLB for the #Cowboys or the #Jets, per source.
— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 19, 2021
The former Atlanta Falcons defender played with Maye down in Gainesville, FL for three years (2013-2015) before the former turned pro.
Neal is a Pro Bowl safety (2017) who’s dealt with his fair share of injuries at the NFL level. Combining to play just four games over two seasons (2018 and 2019), the man who once battled Tom Brady in the Super Bowl is rumored to be switching to linebacker.
Robert Saleh desperately needs another WILL in his 4-3 base defense. And apparently, Maye thinks he’s a good fit.
Not only is Maye’s recruitment tweet good news when thinking about Neal’s prospects of coming to Florham Park, NJ, but it’s one that allows the organization and its fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
Nobody knew how Maye would handle the franchise tag situation. His agent, Erik Burkhardt, infamously called out the Jets on March 2. Maye wanted a long-term deal. Who doesn’t? Considering Maye entered the league a couple of years older than the average rookie, wanting that second deal is a big, well … deal.
According to Burkhardt, as tweeted by NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo, Maye has decided to accept the franchise tag that’ll pay him $10.612 million in 2021.
#Jets S Marcus Maye has accepted his franchise tag, agent @ErikBurkhardt says. He’s in the fold for $10.612 million.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 20, 2021
For Maye and Burkhardt, the plan is now set: Put forth a tremendous 2021 campaign and snag that multi-year deal next offseason. The only question remaining surrounds whether or not Marcus Maye will have a chance to prove his worth with Keanu Neal by his side.
Apparently, he hopes that turns out to be the case.
Audio Version available to members only: Learn more here
