Ravens named as landing spot for star safety Marcus Maye

New York Jets safety Marcus Maye could find himself on the Baltimore Ravens this year if the Ravens’ front office decides to go all-in on the secondary.

A handful of loose ends currently dangle in Baltimore’s secondary unit for the 2022 season — Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey may serve as the team’s starting corners, but the former hasn’t exactly a cemented future in Baltimore.

DeShon Elliot may or may not be re-signed, and behind him, the Ravens only have young and developmental players to work with.

Baltimore will be looking for defensive backfield reinforcements in the 2022 NFL Draft, perhaps Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner, but even a talented prospect like Gardner may need time to grow into the role.

One media outlet believes the Ravens may look to free agency to solidify their secondary and pick up the Jets’ Marcus Maye.

CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani picked one free agent every NFL team should sign this offseason and had Maye going to Baltimore:

"“It’s no secret that Marcus Maye wants out of New York, and this offseason it could happen. Baltimore needs help in the secondary at cornerback and safety, and signing a true ballhawk like Maye at free safety would immediately improve this defense.”"

Marcus Maye adds experience but inconsistency for the Ravens’ secondary

Maye has played three full seasons in the past five years as injuries derailed his NFL career — most recently, he tore his Achilles last November, playing just six games for the Jets in 2021.

In his last full season in 2020, though, Maye performed admirably, recording 88 combined tackles, 11 passes defended, two interceptions, and two sacks.

Simply put, Maye doesn’t have the same financial security as fellow Jets teammate Carl Lawson, and he’ll enter free agency as a major liability.

Coming off a serious Achilles injury, Maye will have to negotiate a contract with a team with his starting status in 2022 still up in the air. Like Peters, Maye’s health will be in question this year, and in truth, there are as many pros as there are cons in signing Maye.

At 28-years-old, Maye remains in his prime, but his record shows he may be more injury-prone than most. Baltimore can’t afford to lose their secondary starters to long-term injuries next season and need a starting-caliber but also uber-reliable player to depend on all year round.

We don’t see a high possibility of the Ravens signing Maye in 2022 given his injury history and the team’s typical under-the-radar moves in past offseasons.