Jets to franchise tag safety Marcus Maye

The Jets will not let Marcus Maye hit the market. They are placing the franchise tag on their four-year starter at safety, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Expected for a bit to be tagged, Maye will join Broncos standout Justin Simmons in being taken off the safety market. This comes a day ahead of this year’s spring deadline to designate franchise players.

Maye became the Jets’ secondary centerpiece last year, when Gang Green traded Jamal Adams to the Seahawks. Maye broke through with the best season of his career; Pro Football Focus graded the former third-round pick as its No. 5 overall safety. The safety tag is expected to land in the $10 million to $11 million range.

Maye’s agent voiced concerns about the Jets’ negotiations with his client a few days ago, leading Joe Douglas to declare Gang Green still has a plan to extend the Mike Maccagnan-era draft choice. The Jets will now have until July 15 to reach an extension agreement with Maye.