Adam Forsythe / March 15, 2022
On the same day that the New Orleans Saints lost their star safety Marcus Williams to the Baltimore Ravens via free agency, the team brought in another Marcus to be his replacement; former New York Jets safety Marcus Maye. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport was one of the first to report the signing.
Maye’s contract with the Saints is worth $28.5 million over three years with $15 million guaranteed.
The Jets selected Maye in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, just three picks before the Saints selected Williams. In New York, Maye played the role of a deep safety, similar to the role that Williams played in New Orleans.
Maye served as a quality safety for the Jets alongside former LSU Tiger Jamal Adams. When Adams was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020, Maye took on a larger role and developed even further, earning the title of team MVP for his efforts.
The Jets and Maye were unable to agree to terms on a long-term contract so the young safety received the franchise tag after the 2020 season. Maye only played six games in the 2021 season before suffering an achilles injury that ended his season.
Over the course of his tenure in New York, Maye hauled in six interceptions while also forcing nine fumbles. While Marcus Williams is surely a difficult player to replace, Marcus Maye appears primed to take on the challenge.
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