Wide Receivers if the Big Names are Unavailable

For me, it's simple. I don't want the Jets to sign ANY of the big name WRs. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to add one of them, but don't believe the Jets can afford to. IMO their top priorities have to be fixing the OL and signing a backup QB.

Ideally (at least at this point), I'd like for them to sign Tyron Smith to start at LT, George Fant as the RT or swing OT, and Michael Onwenu as their RG or possible RT. I'd cut Tomlinson, and then sign Dalton Risner or a young OG with upside. To make it possible to sign all those guys, they might have to eschew signing Brissett as the backup and maybe trade for Sam Howell if Washington is willing to deal him cheaply, which they may do since he led the league in interceptions, Howell was taken by the previous regime, there's a new HC and GM, and they have the 2nd pick in the draft, I believe, and will most likely take a QB. Then if JD has created enough cap space with restructures and/or cuts to sign the draft picks, still have some emergency money for the season, and still have some left to spend, I'd want either Marquise Brown, Gabriel Davis, Boyd, or Curtis Samuel. I have zero interest in OBJ, and don't have any interest in Bourne coming off a season-ending injury.

If the Jets take an OT in round 1 and can't trade down to acquire a 2nd round pick, I think there's still a pretty good chance that they could get a good WR in the 3rd, and maybe even the 4th round. It's a pretty good and deep draft for WRs. The thing is, if they are able to sign Smith and a starting-caliber RT, they may opt to take a WR at #10 or if they can trade down, take one a little lower or in the 2nd round.

 

As i noted in another thread OBJ just makes a ton of sense imo as a projection fit here on a1 year flyer price tag of $7-8m. Rodgers is on record as wanting him, and he was already close enough to bridging the gap last year that we can expect most players to have in regards to wanting to play here over other equal level opportunity offers elsewhere. Probably best in selective class as far as headline appeal goes for Woody to boot when the marketing team has to re-sell the team's hyped up 2024 chances to the casual fan (props to doing yourself a career favor and dating Kim K while keeping his name in the headlines)

Really though any of those guys at the right conservative price tag likely work as a #3 option in any Hackett offense that miraculously manages to climb itself out of constant dysfunction. Which assuming the O-line gets fixed isn't going to realistically be some complicated formula approach amounting to anything beyond "effectively get the ball in Hall and Wilson's hands as much as possible".

 

I always liked Kendrick Bourne. Think he’d be a good value add.

I think Gabe Davis gets wildly overpaid by someone ala Christian Kirk after the top couple are off the board so I’d take him off the list.

Jalen Guyton might be a decent flyer name. Hasn’t done much in his NFL career but can absolutely fly. Theres not a ton deeper down the list but it’s one of the best top-heavy FA classes of the past ten+ years for receivers when you factor in age and skill set.

 

I disagree. IMO signing him doesn't make any sense. He's older and in decline, will still want big bucks (or more than he's worth) and the ball, and he's a head case. We don't need him causing a disruption or demanding the ball. We need someone better and more reliable. IMO the receiver the Jets add should be the #2 option, not the #3 option, unless you mean that Hall should be the #2 option after Wilson. In terms of WRs, however, if we are able to bring in a veteran WR, that guy should be the #2 WR over Lazard.

 

I think any reality version of a working Hackett offense here is going to include a heavy dose of Breece Hall. In a very simplified/conservative (boo all you want, but we at least need something to work) and run heavy approach that probably sees him catch close to 100 balls. Think rookie year Saquon Barkley there. So yeah, he essentially ends up being the #2 guy.

This "ideal" concept image some people have in their head here of what this offense could or should look like is completely out in leftfield fantasy imo. There is no working version of the Hackett offense here that invests big on secondary WR, ends up with some aggressive Miami'like 1A/1B passing target tandem, and where that investment actually gets adequately utilized. That isn't who Hackett is, that isn't who a 41yo Aaron Rodgers anymore, and that simply isn't even playing a hand with the cards on the table. Period. Don't like it? Circle back around to complaining we need to overhaul the coaching stuff.

As far as OBJ goes I personally don't believe he has the stroke or general appeal anymore to demand more then the comparative market is going to say he's worth. In fact he might actually end up being the cheapest contract on that list imo. Where again though, I don't think who you actually end up adding there ends up the being the difference making aspect to the offense people want to believe it will. I think if we get to the point where we hit on both the longshot of the coaching figuring things out on offense adequately enough, and Rodgers managing to starve off father time, any of those guys are capable of providing the level of role player support production we'd reasonably need out of them. And in the event that was happening Lazard mind you would likely have also slid back into at least being semi useful as well. Like I hate hard on the guy, but being THAT useless last year had just as much to do with Hackett being historically terrible at his job. Which combined with him forgetting he even had Hardman on the roster you would really think should be scaring people off in itself on the idea of spending big on another WR..but i digress lol

In this instance specifically, and as long as the choice was being presented to him with "this is who WE like and while not exceeding THIS price" parameters , I'd actually be cool with letting GM Rodgers make the final call on who he'd want of the bunch.

 

I agree that Hall should get a lot of touches, but again disagree with the rest. Getting another WR who can take some of the attention off of Wilson is a huge priority, and Rodgers does spread the ball around some, or at least did in GB with Hackett, so I think you're wrong to say that the #2 WR won't get a lot of looks.

If Lazard had caught most of the passes thrown to him, the Jets would have probably won another game or two, so I think you're wrong that the blame goes on Hackett. There is plenty else to blame Hackett for, but not Lazard dropping passes and playing so poorly.

IMO Rodgers has already had too much say. He can take what he gets and be thankful for it.

Even if OBJ is cheaper, he's still going to be a pain in the ass and want the ball. I can't stand him and don't want him on the team. I wouldn't want him if he was still great. He's a cancer.

 

Finally some good common sense around here. Agree w/everything === 1) NYJ doesnt have the luxury of getting top flight WR to be a #2 replacing Lazard 2) IMO Rodgers has already had too much say. He can take what he gets and be thankful for it. 3) Short-term band-aid consideration at OT w/T. Smith & even G. Fant. 4) Michael Onwenu - although very gun shy about acquiring ex-Patriots, - for whatever reason more often than not they just completely fade out when they leave New England, ---- & most important 5) CUTTING LAKEN TOMLINSON. I don't care what CAP hit we take or $$ savings we can't acquire or the fact that the guy is healthy ===== jeez, - we can't find a guard in the 4th or 5th round????????

 

Thanks. Unless I'm surprised by a run on OGs, I definitely think the Jets can find an OG in the 4th round. They don't have a 5th round pick. Ulbrich coached at the Sr. Bowl and he got a look at the OL there. There are always collegiate OTs who have to move to OG in the NFL and who succeed. There are a ton of FA OGs this season. I think it's possible that the Jets could sign the players I mentioned earlier, and still sign 2nd tier OG to start the first few games of the season while AVT is still recovering and then become good depth. There are older vets who will be cheap, and there are lots of younger players with upside.

 

Very well said. Agree completely. Further, JD can not mortgage the next two years, he has 4 cornerstone rookies he must resign, Sauce and Wilson one year and JJ and Possibly Hall the next.

 

I love the off-season more than the actual season. There's so much hope and dreaming of what could be! But then the hopes and dreams are crushed when the Jets play.

 

Bourne is a free agent? Not a bad plan there. You’d also be subtracting from a rival which is always good

 

I’m sure NE is losing a lot of sleep on how to replace his 400yd season’s.

 

ha well they don’t have anyone else catching passes. The rest of them really suck

and sadly 400 yards would exceed what Lazard is bringing to the table

 

Agreed, I’d just rather mine that kind of production in the draft. Lazard is a disaster and really handcuffs the team

 

Not to mention which on a per game basis ends up looking better then what a guy like say Tee Higgins managed to put up last year in a system that probably saw better overall QB play even with a banged up Joe Cool. Higgins being a guy who probably would have got an almost universal standing ovation out of this fanbase in the event he had reached FA and if/when we had backed up the truck to sign him. At least after the application of throw-a-big-name-at-a-problem logic, of course

I like Bourne on the surface level too. But I'd also need more convincing on how favorable his rehab projection is looking today before I'd be throwing my eggs in that basket.

 

I mean, ok I guess?? The guy has been in the league 7 years and 800 yards is his best season. His last two seasons have been 400 yards, injury or otherwise. He is what he is. Again, I’d rather try and mine that type of player out of a later round pick with upside. Hell we may already have that with Brownlee

 

I could get onboard with this as long as that price didn't go much beyond the $7mil mark.

1. OBJ is another year removed from that injury and it usually takes a year or two to really get your wheels under you and
2. He's going to look to "go out" on a positive note

Now, ASSUMING Rodgers actually maintains vertical status AND JD actually "hits" on a couple o-lineman, it could pan out to be a win/win. That's a LOT of assumptions and what if's I'm playing with there. For the purposes of maintaining my "dark sider" status, my guess is Rodgers doesn't finish the season, JD does what he always does with the o-line, nothing, which results in it doesn't matter who is brought in to compliment/compete with G. Wilson, whomever is behind center is going to spend the majority of their time pulling fake turf rubber from his face/helmet.