Another wide receiver was removed from the roster on Monday, shrinking the roster a little further with one week until NFL free agency begins.
The Buccaneers and veteran Mike Evans agreed to a reported two-year, $52 million contract on Monday that will keep him off the free agent market.
He’s the latest wide receiver to be taken off the list, but he might not be the last.
The Bengals used the franchise tag on Tee Higgins, and the Colts are expected to tag Michael Pittman Jr. before Tuesday’s deadline if a long-term deal is not reached.
With the free agent negotiation window opening at noon next Monday, what will happen to the Jets?
This isn’t an ideal situation for a team looking to have a strong complement to young star Garrett Wilson.
If Pittman is tagged as expected, that would leave Calvin Ridley as the top receiver expected to become a free agent.
The Jaguars are not expected to re-sign Ridley before free agency begins, as the deal with the Falcons would result in a second-round pick if they acquire a third-round pick.
It makes sense for Jacksonville to wait, even if the door opens for a team like the Jets.
The question for the Jets is how high they can go in their bid for Ridley, who rushed for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
He’s a good receiver but has had issues off the field and was suspended for the 2022 season for gambling. However, his price has exploded on the receiver market.
On Monday, there was a surprise that Evans earned $26 million per season. Pittman is expected to earn more than $20 million per season if his contract with the Colts goes through.
Is it wise for the Jets to invest at the top end of the market, or is it better to spend that money on the offensive line and sign a cheaper wide receiver or draft in the third round?
After Ridley, the market is down. The next group of receivers is Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Gabe Davis, Darnell Mooney, Tyler Boyd, and Odell Beckham Jr.
These players’ annual salaries should be in the $10 million to $15 million range, which may be more palatable to the Jets.
Joe Douglas got stung in the wide receiver market last season for paying Allen Lazard so much.
He signed Lazard to a four-year, $44 million contract, but Lazard ended up catching 23 passes and just one touchdown, and was inactive for the final three games of the season.
You might wonder if that’s in the back of Douglas’ mind before he dives deeper into the wide receiver market.
If you’re looking for a connection, Brown played with the Cardinals in 2022 under new Jets wide receivers coach Sean Jefferson. Jefferson’s opinion of Brown should strongly shape the Jets’ approach to him.
The Jets pursued Beckham last April at the request of Aaron Rodgers.
They thought they would sign him until the Ravens made a $16 million offer that shocked the Jets. Could they revisit Beckham?
It’s unlikely Rodgers’ opinion of Beckham has changed. However, Beckham had a down season with the Ravens. He had 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns.
Douglas could try to add a cheaper option in free agency and take the No. 2 wide receiver in the draft. This year’s receiver class is considered deep by draft experts.
The Jets are expected to target a tackle with a first-round pick, and while they currently don’t have a second-round pick, they could potentially draft a receiver in the third round.
There is also a possibility that it will develop into a surprise trade.
Davante Adams is not expected to be moved by the Raiders after earlier speculation that he would be traded. However, the wide receiver market can be difficult to predict. Two years ago, no one expected the Chiefs to actually trade Tyreek Hill.
The wide receiver path will be an interesting one for Douglas to take in the coming weeks, and it’s sure to include many more twists and turns.
