The New York Jets have been desperate for cornerback depth for years. Bringing back Arthur Maulet will help that case in 2020.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, the New York Jets have agreed on a one-year contract with cornerback Arthur Maulet.
CB Arthur Maulet, a non-tendered RFA, is expected to re-sign with the #Jets on a one-year deal, per source. Had an offer from another team. Started 6 games last season. A depth signing at a thin position.
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 20, 2020
The Jets had non-tendered Maulet just a few days ago, making him an unrestricted free agent. That makes it very likely that Maulet is coming back on a veteran minimum contract. That’s a strong deal for the Jets.
Maulet started six games in 2019. The soon to be 27-year-old filled in nicely as the Jets No. 1 cornerback. The issue is that he played against some awful competition.
He started games against the Giants, Redskins, Raiders, Bengals, Steelers, and Bills backups. Not exactly a murderers row of offenses there.
Maulet played well enough over that stretch to earn another year on the roster. He’ll likely slot in as a depth cornerback, but given the state of the team, he could compete for a starting spot.
As things stand, the Jets’ best outside cornerbacks are Maulet, Bless Austin, and Darryl Roberts. That’s an underwhelming group, which could force Maulet back into a starting role.
That makes Maulet a strong if uninspiring signing. Jets general manager Joe Douglas knows the role that depth at cornerback can play from his time with the Eagles. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017 they were down to their fourth and fifth cornerbacks on their roster due to injuries.
That strong depth helped them beat Tom Brady’s Patriots. A similar strategy in New York could help the Jets overcome an overall weak group of cornerbacks on the roster.
