The Jets brought back another piece of their 2019 defense by re-signing cornerback Arthur Maulet, according to his agency.
Maulet, who will turn 27 in July and was a restricted free agent, didn’t receive a tender from the Jets and had an offer from another team, according to ESPN, but decided to come back to New York. He started six games in 2019 for a depleted Jets secondary and played well next to rookie Bless Austin despite starting in only two games since he entered the NFL in 2017.
In his six starts, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Maulet recorded 23 tackles, five tackles for a loss and one interception. He also returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown on a muffed punt against the Patriots in Week 3. Maulet isn’t the biggest or the best cornerback on the Jets roster, but he provides a level of continuity on defense that Gregg Williams needs.
Maulet now re-joins the core of the Jets cornerback unit in 2019 with Austin and Brian Poole. That combination of Austin and Maulet on the outside alongside Poole in the slot actually worked well in the latter half of the season. The Jets went 5-1 in Maulet’s six starts and only allowed an average of 205.3 passing yards per game over that stretch. The Jets still need to find a true No. 1 cornerback after cutting Trumaine Johnson, but Maulet will at least be a solid role player in 2020.