New Dolphins safety Marcus Maye is ready to prove his former teams wrong in 2024
Marcus Maye is no stranger to the state of Florida. The veteran NFL safety grew up three hours north of Miami in Melbourne and attended the University of Florida for four years. But after a seven-year NFL detour in New York and New Orleans, Maye is back in Florida as a Miami Dolphin.
“I feel great being back around family and being a part of this program right now,” Maye said. “It’s something I read about as a kid, [and it is] right in [my] backyard.”
The Jets drafted Maye with the 39th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. After five seasons with the Jets, the 6-0 safety spent the past two years with the Saints before being released. He signed with the Dolphins in early June.
“I’m excited to have [Maye] as an addition to our group,” Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer said. “He played with the Jets and had a solid couple of years in New Orleans. We’re lucky to have him here.”
Maye battled a shoulder injury in 2023, which limited him down the stretch of the season. However, the seven-year NFL veteran believes that he has fully recovered from the injury without needing surgery.
Since Maye only signed with the team in the summer and missed OTAs, he has had to learn Weaver’s new defensive system quickly.
“So far I’ve been playing catch-up,” Maye said. “[I am] learning from Ramsey, Poyer and Fuller on the fly, and picking their brains.”
On paper, the defensive backs look to be the sturdiest part of the defense, with a mixture of former Pro Bowlers and solid starters like Jalen Ramsey, Poyer, Kendall Fuller and Jevon Holland. Certainly, Maye didn’t mince praise for his new teammates.
“I’ve known [Ramsey] since high school and college,” Maye said. “He has not changed a bit since then. He’s still one of the top corners in the league, if not the best.”
He also complimented safety Jevon Holland, who emerged as one of the NFL’s top safeties last year.
“[Holland] is a great player,” Maye said. “[He can] play in the back end and can come down in the box. He’s definitely one of the top safeties in the league, so I’m excited [to play with him].”
Maye has been a starter throughout his seven-year career. While it doesn’t seem likely Maye will start before Jordan Poyer or Jevon Holland, he’s still ready to contribute to the team no matter how small his role.
“There’s always a competition [for starting], with everyone out here being competitors,” Maye said. “But it’s a team effort and a team game. Whatever the coaches decide, that’s what I will do.”
But Maye might not need to worry too much about playing time. New defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will likely utilize a lot of three-safety sets, as the Ravens led the NFL in three-high safety usage last season. This means Poyer, Maye and Holland could all be on the field at the same time.
“I’m sure [Weaver] has a lot of tricks up his sleeve,” Maye said. “That was another reason why I wanted to come, with him and the versatility we have in the back end, I just wanted to be part of it.”
Maye has plenty of material to work with to enhance his motivation. After the Jets refused to re-sign him in 2021 and the Saints released him after two years, it looks like many NFL teams don’t regard Maye as an impact player any longer. But despite the peaks and valleys of his past, Maye appears to be fully committed to the Dolphins.
“Life has its ups and downs,” Maye said. “But I’m still here [in the league]. I’m excited to be [in Miami], to get back to work, and [I am] looking forward to what we do.”