The Jets need to find some receivers this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they should just go after any free agent pass-catcher.
Following a 2019 season that showed minimal production outside of Jamison Crowder and Robby Anderson, the Jets really didn’t get enough production from the position. Now, Anderson could walk in free agency, leaving the team even thinner at the position.
Joe Douglas has to do a better job than his predecessor in targeting playmakers who will help Sam Darnold. This year’s wide receiver free agent class is top-heavy, with Emmanuel Sanders being the prize target after Amari Cooper and A.J. Green are both likely tagged. With that, there are also players at the receiver position that the Jets shouldn’t touch.
Let’s take a look at five receivers the Jets should avoid come free agency.
Paul Richardson
On Valentine’s Day, the Redskins elected to part ways with Paul Richardson just two years after signing him to a massive five-year, $40 million deal.
The Redskins hoped Richardson could stretch the field for them. In two seasons, however, Richardson played just 17 of 32 games, catching 48 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
In 2019, he was shut down with a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve for the second consecutive season after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury throughout 2018.
If the Jets allow Robby Anderson to walk in free agency, which seems more possible by the day, someone like Richardson could catch their attention. They’re better off either re-signing Anderson, targeting someone like Breshard Perriman or finding his replacement in the draft. It’s a hard sell to fans that you’re banking on an injury-hampered wideout — who seems like a product of Russell Wilson — to be your deep threat.
Dontrelle Inman
Despite interest from the Jets the previous two offseasons, Dontrelle Inman elected to sign elsewhere. This offseason, the Jets shouldn’t bother.
Inman instead spent the last two seasons with the Colts and Chargers. He played in just seven games last year, catching 12 passes for 181 yards.
As a veteran receiver, Inman is a reliable pass-catcher who poses as a threat as No. 3 or 4 option. In an ideal world, at 31-years-old is not going to be on the Jets’ radar this time around. There’s a couple of veteran receivers over the age of 30 that the Jets should keep in mind, but Inman is not one of them after a shortened, unproductive season.
Phillip Dorsett
It looks like Phillip Dorsett’s tenure in New England is done.
Dorsett often made big plays for the Patriots, but he could never develop into a consistent threat that would put him in Julian Edelman or Wes Welker territory.
Playing in 14 games in 2019, Dorsett caught 29 passes for 397 yards and five touchdowns.
He is a nice depth piece at wide receiver who can come in and make plays as a change of pace guy. However, if a team like the Jets is relying on him for something more, they’d be making a sizable mistake.
If there is any lesson to learn from Bill Belichick’s free agent dealings, it’s that you probably shouldn’t target the players he let’s out of the building. While Dorsett is one of the top available free agent wide receivers who won’t be franchised or transitioned tagged, it should speak volumes if New England allows him to walk, granted the state of their current receiver room.
Tavon Austin
During his tenure in the NFL, Tavon Austin has been nothing more than a gadget player, who has failed to find his niche in the receiving game.
His intriguing physical skill sets don’t often show in games, which has been problematic between stops in St. Louis, Los Angeles and Dallas. In 2019, Austin had 11 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown, adding six rushes for 47 yards and a score on the ground.
While speed has been a consistent element when it comes to what Adam Gase and the Jets look for in a receiver, it’s not going to come from Austin.
New York is better suited eying Dallas free agents Amari Cooper — should he avoid the tag — and Randall Cobb, who are better fits in Gase’s offense.
Seth Roberts
In 2019, Seth Roberts played the second-most snaps out of any of Baltimore’s receivers. Despite that, Roberts had just 21 receptions for 271 yards with two touchdowns.
Roberts brings toughness, durability and versatility to the wide receiver room. He played a vital role in Baltimore’s offensive ascension in 2019, especially in the team’s run-heavy blocking scheme.
Still, the veteran just turned 29 this week and has never been a high-end production receiver. As a possession type receiver who can move the chains, he’s certainly an interesting target, but the Jets would be better suited to find receivers who can make an immediate impact in the team’s passing game.
