While the Jets are considering bringing Robby Anderson back, there’s a good chance the Temple product will sign a lucrative contract elsewhere.
Anderson could definitely flourish as a No. 2 wide receiver, but he’s going want to be paid for more than that. The Jets might not have the financial flexibility to make that work.
Anderson has developed into one of the better deep-threat receivers in the NFL, but his growth as a player goes beyond that. He added more to his route tree under Adam Gase and seems closer to becoming a complete receiver. Still, the Jets haven’t been able to maintain much offensive success with Anderson in the fold.
Over the past two seasons, the Jets have dealt with a depleted wide receiver corps that has put Anderson and now Jamison Crowder at the forefront. With the team’s No. 1 priority being to surround Sam Darnold with a capable supporting cast, it could mean the Jets look at other options beyond Anderson to improve their offense.
With that being said, here are six wide receivers the Jets should target in free agency.
Amari Cooper
While Amari Cooper is fully expected to be transition tagged as the Cowboys try to work out a long-term deal with Dak Prescott, he could still hit the open market.
The former No. 4 overall pick would be perhaps the most sought after receiver in that case. A four-time Pro Bowler, Cooper has 357 career receptions for 5,097 yards and 33 touchdowns. Cooper will be just 26 years old in June and he’s coming off a season in which he caught 79 passes for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns.
Cooper is a No. 1 wide receiver and will be paid as such if Dallas allows him to become a free agent just a season and a half after acquiring him for a first-round pick. If that happens, he would be the perfect weapon for Darnold. Of course, he would also be a costly one for a Jets team that doesn’t have as much cap space as in years past.
A.J. Green
Since breaking into the league, A.J. Green has been one of the elite players at the wide receiver position, but injuries have slowed him down the past two seasons.
Green missed seven games in 2018 with a toe injury. In 2019, he suffered torn ligaments in his ankle that caused him to miss the entire season. The Bengals went 2-14 without him.
At 32, it’s hard to tell what type of player Green can be due to durability concerns. However, for the Jets, Green may be worth the risk due to the talent he possesses and past accolades that point to him being a consistently dominant presence.
For his career, Green has 602 receptions for 8,097 yards and 63 touchdowns. With Green being on an eventual Hall of Fame path already, it’s unlikely that he would be willing to go to a situation where competitive football isn’t guaranteed. While Green is a perfect fit for Sam Darnold, the risk may be too high if New York would have to overpay for Green’s services.
Like Cooper, Green is a potential franchise tag candidate, as Cincinnati might want to keep the No. 1 WR with a young, franchise quarterback of their own.
WR Emmanuel Sanders
While Emmanuel Sanders’ age could potentially be a head-scratching addition for the Jets, his production says otherwise.
Sanders proved his worth down the stretch for the 49ers, playing a significant role in San Francisco’s passing attack that helped it reach the Super Bowl. The 49ers not only gave Sanders a lifeline after his stay wore out in Denver, but he also recorded 36 receptions for 502 yards and three touchdowns in 10 regular season games.
New York will have to get creative in its search for Sam Darnold’s No. 1 wide receiver. Sanders is a former product of Adam Gase’s days in Denver and could add the veteran leadership and knowledge of the offense that oft-injured Demaryius Thomas couldn’t bring to the table.
With age on the other side of the equation, it’s hard to discount the production that Sanders would be able to add to the outside receiver position if Robby Anderson does indeed walk in free agency.
Breshad Perriman
Breshad Perriman was seldom used in Tampa Bay until injuries took down both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Between being a former Baltimore first-round pick and having a cup of coffee with both Washington and Cleveland in 2018, Perriman did very little in his first three seasons in the NFL. He had what was a career renaissance in Tampa Bay and is hoping to turn a career year into a long-term deal.
Teams will be looking for Perriman to replicate what he did in Bruce Arians’ offense, catching 36 passes for 645 yards and six touchdowns. One of those teams could be the Jets if they look to replace Robby Anderson’s home run threat ability on the outside for a presumably lesser cost.
Devin Funchess
Devin Funchess signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Colts but didn’t prove much in his short stay in Indianapolis after injuring his collarbone after one game.
For four seasons, Funchess was one of Cam Newton’s primary targets down in Carolina, but drops and effort were a legitimate concern from the former University of Michigan product. For his career, Funchess has 23 drops.
While the Jets may want to expand their horizons in the wide receiver market, Funchess presents himself as a low-risk, high-reward addition at wideout. He would give Sam Darnold a big-bodied receiver, standing at 6-foot-4, who can go make plays in the red zone.
Nelson Agholor
It was a rough 2019 season for Nelson Agholor, who yet again fell victim to a bad case of the drops.
With Joe Douglas being part of a front office that put its faith in Agholor, it wouldn’t be unlike him to bring him in as a reclamation project on a cheap, short-term deal as he aims for a bounce-back campaign.
In 11 games, Agholor caught 39 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns in an injury-shortened season. While Agholor is definitely not a player who can be a true No. 1 threat, he is still a player who brings a veteran presence and Super Bowl pedigree.
Want to read about more potential free agent targets for the Jets? We’ll be breaking them down position by position as we approach free agency:
Right Tackles | Right Guards | Center | Left Tackles | Left Guards
