What Marcus Maye Brings to the Dolphins
Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
A couple of weeks ago, the Miami Dolphins had a great opportunity to upgrade their secondary. Former All-Pro safety Justin Simmons was still a free agent, and The Noise used this space to advocate Miami picking him up. Not only is he arguably the best available safety on the open market, but may even be the best player overall. The fact that Simmons is still available is shocking.
Despite pleas for the Miami Dolphins to make another splash signing, a deal with Simmons never quite came to fruition. However, that didn’t mean general manager Chris Grier decided to ignore their need for a veteran safety on the free agent market. That player in question is Marcus Maye who agreed to terms with the Dolphins on Monday night, per Jordan Schultz.
So what does Maye bring to this Dolphins defense? One of the things that Maye boasts is experience playing against AFC East rival quarterback Josh Allen. The 31-year-old safety out of Florida spent his first five seasons from 2017-2021 with the New York Jets under head coaches Todd Bowles and Adam Gase. However, what’s even more relevant is the fact that Maye played under infamous defensive coordinator Gregg Williams during his stint with the Jets. Williams is most known for being the man behind the infamous Bountygate scandal in 2009 back when he was the defensive coordinator for the Saints.
The Williams connection is relevant here, because Maye would go on to sign with the Saints in 2021, who were led by a Williams disciple in Dennis Allen. Maye spent two seasons in New Orleans starting at strong safety alongside Tyrann Mathieu. However, due to the ascension of 2023 fifth-round pick Jordan Howden along with cap restraints, Maye suddenly became expendable and was released by the Saints this offseason. That being said, you don’t start at safety for two years in New Orleans under a Gregg Williams disciple if you aren’t a physical player.
So much of Marcus Maye’s highlights for the Saints last season showcase his physical nature. Whether it was him making tackles in run support against a tough running back like Leonard Fournette, or breaking up a pass underneath intended for an uber-athletic tight end in Kyle Pitts. Although Maye isn’t the biggest safety out there, he plays bigger than his size. It helps that Maye has very long arms (32.5″) which serves him well in both coverage and run support. Maye is also position-versatile, having started at both free safety and strong safety throughout his career.
With all that being said, there are still a couple of negatives about Maye worth noting. First of all, he’s missed quite a few games as of late. Maye got suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and missed Weeks 3-6. Later in the year, Maye suffered a shoulder injury in Week 12 vs. the Falcons and was later placed on IR for the remainder of the 2023 season. So availability is one of the primary concerns for Maye.
Additionally, one could argue that Maye hasn’t been a huge difference-maker when he’s been on the field. That’s not to say he’s been bad, but the general consensus from Saints fans appears to be a little bit above being labeled as a “guy.” To make a Miami-friendly comparison, sort of like Emmanuel Ogbah was last year for the Dolphins. Like Maye, Ogbah was good at one point in his career and you acknowledge his existence, but Ogbah never really exceeded “solid but unspectacular” territory. Maye can be viewed the same way.
Nonetheless, the Dolphins desperately needed some depth at safety, because their plan beforehand seemed to center around converting slot cornerback Nik Needham to safety. The odds of that working out were not great. A Super Bowl contender also can’t expect practice squad-caliber players like Elijah Campbell or sixth-round rookie Patrick McMorris to be immediate contributors as their third safety to start the season.
What Miami is getting from Maye is a guy who has played in high-stakes divisional games against AFC East quarterbacks, someone who plays a physical brand of football, and most importantly: a player who has experience at both free safety and strong safety. Signing Maye means the Dolphins now have a proven veteran they can turn to in case something happens to Jevon Holland or Jordan Poyer, and there’s no such thing as too much depth. All in all, chalk Maye up as a good signing for the Dolphins.
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