Chargers Elijah Molden contract extension likely spells the end for veteran Marcus Maye for free agency next month. According to breaking news, the Los Angeles Chargers officially agreed on a three-year deal after bringing him in via a trade last year from the Titans in August. This move makes sense considering Molden was one of the most versatile defenders in this pass secondary that saw a ton of success only allowing under 18 points. However, this should put the icing on the cake for Maye.
Originally selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the former Florida product came into the lineup to fill a replacement hole after Alohi Gilman went down with a temporary injury. The Chargers pass secondary wasn’t the same as Gilman and a few other nicklebacks suffered an injury which could have been a reason why they lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs against the Texans. Maye was only able to play four games for the rest of 2024 but he couldn’t stay healthy for the majority of the campaign. Since parting ways with the Saints due to substance abuse and more lingering injuries, he hasn’t been able to earn a long-term deal yet with an NFL team.
Here are five teams that could change that next season.
Chargers Elijah Molden Contract Extension Likely Spells End for Veteran Marcus Maye – 5 Possible Suitors
Next Possible Teams
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will let go of Marcus Williams after a disastrous year since benching him in favor of Ar’Darius Washington. The pass secondary for the team was one of the worst and needs an immediate upgrade. Marcus Maye won’t fix this entire secondary but he supports the depth chart behind Washington and Kyle Hamilton in the safety department.
New Orleans Saints
A return to the Saints is possible considering the team is in cap hell and will likely release Tyrann Mathieu because of those issues. It didn’t help losing Marshon Lattimore in a trade but the team did what they could to shed off some of the salary cap. Paulson Adebo will test the market and they need just about any help in the secondary. Maye won’t check down every play but perhaps, he could exclusively as a rotational safety.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers spent the entire 2024 offseason building an offense for quarterback Bryce Young and now they have some capable relief to help lead him in the right direction out of Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. Jaycee Horn is still the best secondary man on that roster since the Panthers didn’t do anything to address the position. With Xavier Woods hitting the market, Maye could be a temporary replacement to filter out the inexperience the Panthers have.
Dallas Cowboys
Donovan Wilson is a cap casualty this offseason so the Cowboys will likely go on another bargain hunt again. Malik Hooker is still on a contract until 2026 but the hole and depth don’t look promising for the safety. Marcus Maye could easily be a cheap replacement since Dallas loves to find talent in the draft instead of free agency.
Washington Commanders
As for the Commanders, the team will likely bring back Jeremy Chinn but at a low cost to pair with Quan Martin again. These two haven’t been as explosive but they could use some extra support. Maye might not be a superstar but his experience could be a mentor for a growing Commanders secondary.
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