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With six weeks already in the books, Marcus Maye trade rumors 2021 are flooding the web right now. The New York Jets are once again far from a contending team but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t get better in the foreseeable future.
It’s not a secret that the Jets are not competing right now. Rookie quarterback Zach Wilson gets better and more comfortable as the weeks go by, but they lack weapons and it’s not easy to turn around the culture in an ever-struggling franchise.
Robert Saleh has slightly improved the Jets’ defense. Ironically, getting rid of one of their best defensive assets might as well be the key for them to improve in other areas. That’s why Marcus Maye headlines most of the Jets trade rumors and the trade deadline news.
Marcus Maye trade rumors 2021
Marcus Maye and the Jets seem to be on different pages right now. He’s not likely to be a part of the team in 2022 and that could hamper his trade value. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t look to move him before the trade deadline rather than just letting him walk away for free in the offseason.
Maye is one of the few safeties that could play everywhere if asked to. Albeit most efficient in the center of the field, he can also play near the flanks, line up in the slot, match up against tight ends, and play in zone or man-to-man coverage.
Nonetheless, his DUI scandal, his $10.5 million salary, and the fact that he’s due to be a free agent make him way less valuable in the trade market than what the Jets would want. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most likely Maye trade destinations.
Chiefs
There’s no denying that the Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most explosive – if not the most explosive – offenses in the league.
But as great as they’ve been when it comes to putting up yards and points, they’ve been nearly as bad as allowing their rivals to score.
The Chiefs aren’t exactly swimming in cash right now, which could make a deal for Maye kind of tricky. Then again, he’s the kind of player that could turn their struggling defense into a solid unit right away. The Chiefs are in control of most of their picks in the upcoming draft and they could also look to dump Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s salary. That’s a win-win scenario for both teams.
Browns
The Cleveland Browns entered this year with plenty of hopes and expectations about their defense. And even though their revamped front seven has been pretty solid and Myles Garrett has been an early Defensive Player of the Year candidate, their safety unit has been pretty mediocre.
Thus far, they’ve been the worst in the league with an average of 16.7 yards per target allowed.
The Browns could offer either Austin Hooper and David Njoku and both would be massive upgrades at tight end for the Jets. They’re also in control of all of their draft picks through the sixth round next year, as well as a fourth-round pick via the Lions.
Panthers
Matt Rhule’s team is built on their defense and they’ve already looked to improve by trading for Stephon Gilmore and CJ Henderson.
They’ve also already found out that Sam Darnold isn’t going to win them many games unless everything’s going smoothly for them, which only puts more pressure on their defense.
The Panthers’ defensive unit has been pretty strong to start the season but even good things could be better.
They’ve already shown that they won’t hesitate to move as many draft picks as it takes to get a deal done, and they also have a plethora of misused pass-catchers that could look way better under Zach Wilson. Even if they don’t make a run at Maye, keep an eye on the Panthers when it comes to trade deadline news.
