You have excellent points, but there's also a need for team leaders and showing players that they will be rewarded for being great players, good citizens, and not causing problems. Even though they could probably save some cap space and maybe get a decent draft pick or picks in return, in terms of morale and creating the culture they want to create, I think they need to sign him to at least a 3-year deal.
Why the franchise tag? The Jets have zillions of dollars in cap room, just sign the kid long term. Its a bad statement to make
But that was under the old defensive scheme. In our new scheme, his role will be more of a traditional free safety which is why they don't get paid as much. You take care of good CBs no matter the scheme, but FS no way. It throws everything out of wack when you're trying to slot in players to fit your system. I like Maye a lot, but you have to take the emotional part out of it and strictly focus on his value in this defense. It won't be much. We're not talking Quinnen Williams here who will be extremely important in this defense.
I completely understand that reasoning and don't have a problem with it. However, you have to take the emotional part out of it and strictly pay him on the value of the position. It's the NFL, you can't worry about hurt feelings. Players are still going to go where the money is. They understand it is a harsh business. Look at the Patriots and how many great players they've let go, but continued to win every year because they place a certain value on each position. All the good teams seem to function this way. It sucks, but it's the reality of the salary cap NFL. Free safety is not a position that you pay unless Gregg Williams or someone similar is your DC.
It doesn't matter. Any competent free safety will do in this scheme. It's not high on the totem pole in terms of importance. We need to shore up the D-Line, get LBs and CBs first. These are way more important positions than free safety. Now if Gregg Williams were still the DC, then Maye's value would be greater.
Eh it does matter because not all free safeties are created equal. It is somewhat of a replaceable position if they're playing the deep third, but we have the cap space and he's a good player and great at preventing big plays. He showed versatility this year. The strong safety can operate with a second of freedom to disrupt the middle when they don't have to worry about anything deep. I hope the Jets don't take that for granted and it doesn't look like they have because they tagged him.
It's a tough business and I understand what the Jets are doing. Maye is 28 yo. If the Jets sign him to an expensive, long-term deal, they are taking a big chance that Maye's skills will erode and they will be wasting cap space.
I think we're just going to have to disagree on this one. I don't think emotion is part of it. It's totally a rational from my and the team's perspective. Players do get emotional, and not all of them are mercenary. Some of them just want to be treated with respect and appreciation. If the team wants any loyalty from players and perhaps home team discounts, then they have to show loyalty to the players. IMO if you treat them all like numbers or replaceable parts, you won't get the culture that JD is seeking to instill, team loyalty, or won't get FAs wanting to sign here. I also disagree with your estimation of the value of FSs. They are the last line of defense. They are more important than SSs, and can be just as important as CBs, especially in a zone system
The best way to prevent big plays is to put pressure on the QB. Also, CB is much more important than free safety. Free safety in this defense just needs to be able to provide help, not be the all-around defensive playmaker like he was asked to do in the previous defensive scheme. Having said that, yes every position is still important, but some are much more important than others. Free safety in the grand scheme of things is the one you want to pay the least in this defense. Take your emotions out of it. I like Maye a lot, but he's just not worth the price in this defense especially when we need to shore up much more important positions.
But you want to pay for an edge rusher. You want to pay Quinnen. We need LBs. We need CBs. We need O-Line. We need WRs. So tell me, how do you justify paying a free safety when those other positions are much more important to the success of the team? I'm trying to take the big picture approach and fill the most important positions first. Signing Maye really is just signing him based on the previous production, not for value going forward in this system. I understand loyalty and all that, but that is putting emotions into it. It's why Jerry Jones is a horrific GM. I also believe players understand the value of each position. Isn't that why Becton will not move to RT because he knows he gets paid more as a LT & he's more important to the team. 11 million for free safety is not chump change. It's actually overpaying in this defensive scheme, so yes, he is valued by the team. They could have let him go like the Patriots most likely will do with Thuney & signed someone much cheaper who will essentially give you the same production in this defense.
With regards to the bold, I understand and respect that, but obviously Saleh and JD see it differently. They still see Maye as a valuable part of the defense. If they didn't, they wouldn't have tagged him.
Well I think the bottom line is they can't get rid of everyone. They still need to field a team and there are no guarantees we will get an edge, LB and CB. Those are all tough positions to fill with competent players, so you need someone with experience this year especially when we might have rookies at those key spots. But next season is different. Rookies on D this year will have experience heading into next season, so no need to commit long-term to a free safety. I'm just using the value system and in this scheme, it makes zero sense to sign a free safety to a long-term deal. A free safety is also one of the easier positions to fill. We can easily get another one next season. But first, we must concentrate on the more important areas of need. Now, after the draft and free agency, maybe it works out where we can fit Maye into a longer term deal. I wouldn't bet on it since we have so many needs to fill, but there's always the possibility that Saleh will use him more. But I doubt it. Not his defensive style.
It would be great if we could work something out with Maye, however the tag itself is probably worth as much guaranteed money as the Jets are willing to put out and it's unclear that Maye is going to sign anything that puts him over 30 without a substantial guarantee included in the deal. Maybe the amount of the tag guaranteed for this year with a series of roster bonuses due on the 1st day of the league year would get it done. Give Maye half his salary for the year on the 1st day of the league year, giving him some security and the ability to quickly pivot to whatever he can find in free agency if the Jets choose not to pay the roster bonus as free agency opens. When you have a good player this close to 30 at the start of his second deal something has to give and having the player and team meet halfway is probably the best option. It's a rare situation and Maye is a rare player and hopefully he and the Jets can work something out.
I believe it matters a little more than we think, having talented players is the key to winning. Jets already have a good secondary if Davis improves this year. Marcus Maye, Ashton Davis, Bryce Hall, Javelin Guidry, As it stands right now it’s a very inexpensive secondary at this point. Mosley is slated to come back and play MLB, they are set there. they have Zuniga and Luvu they can use at weak side LB unless they sign someone. They still have Basham, Hewitt on the roster not shure if any of those guys can be used as strong side LB. So they really are left with having to sign or draft a DE, and possibly a strong side LB. The majority of the help I believe is needed on offense line and elite skilled player for offense. Allen Robinson would be my choice as top FA which gives Jets a talented group of receivers, Mims, Robinson and Crowder. The rest can be addressed through draft. I get the decision making with no emotion aspect and I agree with it, I also believe that sometimes a team can’t just leave itself with holes to fill on a consistent basis. Who knows maybe they won’t come up with a deal and he gets paid for one year and moves on and JD addresses the position long term in next years draft.
At the very least we have a bunch of dogs chasing a bone relentlessly in the secondary, because they all need to make money on their second contract. I don't have a ton of faith in Hall/Guidry/Maulet/Austin becoming top flight corners but damn those guys are at least going to be willing to fly around and try to make plays and hit some receivers in the process. Unless something crazy happens like Horn falls to 23 or one of the FA corners wants a reasonable deal to come here, I'd live with what we have for one more year + Maye and figure corner out for real next year. I'd also grab Sherman to teach these guys how to play cover 3 and buy in to Saleh.
"Our new system has the front 4 pressuring the QB, forcing quick throws...we won't really need a top FS anymore". When the fuck did we sign Lawrence Taylor? I totally missed it!
I'd like to see a modest 3-4 year contract that the Jets can get out of after year two. From a strictly football perspective, I dont think him being on the tag is bad thing from a football point of view, but it might be a good move for JD to show that he's willing to pay if you're a team leader.
