Jets Place Franchise Tag on Marcus Maye

The Jets have placed the franchise tag on safety Marcus Maye according to multiple reports.

A safety picked in the second round of the 2017 Draft by the Jets, Maye posted an outstanding 2020 season. Maye was voted team MVP in a season where he set career highs with 88 tackles, 11 passes defensed, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.

If Maye plays the 2021 season under the franchise tag he would make somewhere in the neighborhood of $10-11 million. To be honest I think that’s a tad (although not outrageously) rich for what he brings to the table. My guess is that neither side wants him to play the season under the tag, though.

As much as anything, I view the franchise tag as a tool to extend the negotiating period. The Jets have now bought a few extra months to try and work out a long-term deal that can satisfy both sides. Maye can get more overall money by signing a long-term deal. The Jets can reduce his cap number and have certainty one of their leaders and best players is with them for the next few years.

In an ideal world, a long-term extension would have already been done by now. Since that proved elusive, this is the next best thing.