Erik Coleman: Marcus Maye is Ready to Replace Jamal Adams, 'Is Going to be a Pro Bowl Player'

Erik Coleman praises Marcus Maye, saying he thinks the New York Jets safety is ready to step-up and replace Jamal Adams.

For Jamal Adams, the door with the New York Jets closed (or was slammed) shut last month. Now, that very same door of opportunity is opening for Marcus Maye.

It will be Maye who takes over as the Jets strong safety this year, an increased role in terms of responsibility but also visibility. After a summer of discontent by Adams and continual shots being fired by the player at the organization, the Jets traded their star to the Seattle Seahawks, opening the door for Maye.

Now, Adams will be the Jets strong safety, sliding over to take the role occupied by the All-Pro Adams. Former Jets safety Erik Coleman, who played four years with the team, thinks Maye is an emerging star.

“At first I was disappointed. Being a former safety, and a guy who knows Jamal, I am a big fan of his I was disappointed to see him go,” Coleman said this week during an appearance on CBS Sports Radio’s ‘Tiki and Tierney’ show.

“When a line was crossed, there is no coming back. When you start talking about the coach and the owner and things like that, you become a distraction to the team. No team is going to deal with a distraction in the locker room, I don’t care how good you are. When you look at what they received in that trade, you can’t be mad at that.”

Maye now becomes the centerpiece of a Jets secondary that evolves and has some new personnel this offseason. In free agency, cornerback Pierre Desir, despite coming off a down season with the Indianapolis Colts, should be an upgrade. The drafting of cornerback Bryce Hall and safety Ashtyn Davis should provide the Jets with depth and flexibility in the backend.

But it is all going to be about Maye and if he can step forward to replace one of the game’s truly dominant defensive players.

“Marcus Maye is emerging, he was in the shadows of Jamal Adams. I think Marcus Maye is going to be a Pro Bowl player in his own right. Then you have the Ashtyn Davis draft pick, I think he is going to be a guy who is going to contribute in their dime packages,” Coleman said.

“I think Marcus Maye is going to come out there this year.”

Coleman now serves on CBS 2 New York as an analyst for their Jets programming. Here is the full interview with CBS Sports Radio.