The Saints saw safety Marcus Williams agree to terms with the Ravens on Tuesday, while safety Marcus Maye saw his former team, the Jets, agree to terms with safety Jordan Whitehead. That left the Saints in search of a safety, and Maye in search of a new team.
The Saints and Maye agreed to a three-year, $28.5 million contract with $15 million guaranteed on Tuesday night, NFL Media reports.
He ranks 48th on PFT’s top-100 free agents.
The Jets used the franchise tag on Maye in 2021, but his season didn’t go as either side expected.
The Jets were not made aware of DUI charges Maye faced stemming from a car crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2021, two weeks before the team used the $10.6 million tag on him.
Maye, 29, then played only six games before tearing his Achilles.
The Jets made Maye a second-round choice in 2017, and he leaves New York with 312 tackles, six interceptions, four forced fumbles and 24 pass breakups.