5 shocking trades the Panthers should consider before 2021 season
By Dean Jones
Marcus Maye – S
If the Carolina Panthers want to make a huge splash just before the season, then looking at someone like Marcus Maye fits the bill. The safety didn’t end up agreeing on a long-term deal with the New York Jets before the franchise-tag deadline, meaning his future is very much up in the air heading into the 2021 campaign.
Maye is a tremendous talent. The former second-round pick has more exceeded expectations since entering the league and stepped up his game even further during the previous campaign – his first without the presence of Jamal Adams alongside him on the backend.
The Panthers would need to free up some money in a bid to take on Maye’s deal. And the player wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if this trade did not also come with a lucrative extension almost immediately after it was agreed.
New York might decide to ride it out with Maye on the tag and see where they’re at this time next year. Head coach Robert Saleh needs to make a solid first impression after taking over and letting someone like the Florida product leave isn’t a good look.
Putting Maye alongside Jeremy Chinn is a mouth-watering proposition for Carolina. Something that could give them one of the league’s most productive safety tandems.
However, there are also some intriguing veterans remaining on the free-agent market that the Panthers wouldn’t have to give draft capital to acquire.