Marcus Maye is a good player, but there are a few ugly plays hidden in his film that could explain why the NY Jets do not value him highly.
According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the New York Jets are not expected to come to an agreement with franchise-tagged safety Marcus Maye prior to the July 15 deadline.
Apparently, the Jets offered Maye a deal worth 20% less annually than the 2021 franchise-tag value, which is $10.6 million. That would leave the Jets’ offer at approximately $8.5 million per year, a number that would currently rank 18th among safeties (between Rayshawn Jenkins and Malcolm Jenkins).
An 18th-overall ranking for Maye would be well out of line with his statistical production. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the league’s fourth-best safety in 2020 with an 82.9 overall grade.
What gives? Why do the Jets see Maye as worth so little when his production suggests he is worthy of a lucrative contract extension?
It comes down to the disparity between Maye’s performance on paper and his performance on tape.
While Maye’s production is elite, there are a lot of worrisome plays on his film that flew under the radar of the public eye and went overlooked by his statistics. These plays are likely the driving force behind why the Jets see Maye as a top-20 safety rather than a top-5 one.
Maye is certainly a good player, but his status as an elite one who should receive a handsome multi-year deal into his 30s becomes tough to defend when the alarming reps below are taken into account.
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