New York Jets: Boom or Bust potential for WR corps

The New York Jets, despite adding a plethora of competition at the position, have a slew of questions as to how the wide receiver positional battle will play out. Eric Decker is almost certainly the number one guy as of right now but behind him the picture get’s very blurred.

Jeremy Kerley in a contract year

Kerley is in the final year of his contract, a contract negotiated by Tannenbaum as evidenced by its back heavy nature. Kerley has proven to be a reliable target and shows potential to be standout #2 receiver with good quarterback play. However, will the Jets look elsewhere to throw the ball if less output will help them land a steal on Kerley in free agency. Or perhaps will the Jets decide to extend him before the season starts and cement him as a weapon for Marty’s offense moving forward.

Stephen Hill showing signs of life

It has been documented that Stephen Hill has impressed in the off-season training programs and perhaps is ready to take the next step as a wide receiver. If Hill really is cleaning his game up his size and raw athleticism could put him into a position of becoming a good if not elite wide receiver. Health and consistency have been Hill’s issues thus far, health is of course a random variable that is hard to control, but consistency on the playing field can be improved and this is what might be happening right now. Will Stephen Hill take that next step?

Geno and David Nelson‘s chemistry

Last season we saw a rookie quarterback struggle with a receiving corps that was seemingly slapped together at the last-minute. Besides Kerley the only one who caught a ball going his way consistently is David Nelson, and Geno has gotten comfortable with this. It has been noted how Geno and Nelson have continued to grow on the chemistry they built last season and while Nelson isn’t the fastest or strongest, he can get open in the end-zone and use his size grab contested balls.

The young guns

The Jets went out and drafted four receivers in this years draft, and yes I am counting Jace Amaro as a receiver. Amaro is certain to make the team but the other three guys will have to compete for a roster spot as the Jets simply will not have room to keep that big of a stable of wide receivers. This will result in healthy competition, one that could yield a diamond in the rough that you always target in the later rounds of the draft.Who will come out on top in this competition Shaq Evans, Quincy Enunwa or Jalen Saunders?

Sanjay Lal’s ongoing reclamation project

Jacoby Ford and Sanjay Lal are reunited now with in New Jersey. I refuse to believe that Lal did not have any input in this acquisition, and he must see something there. Ford never broke out in Oakland, and is a typecast draft pick from that time period in Raider history. Simply put he is a track star, a burner who needed to grow in his knowledge of the game, while immediately adding explosiveness on special teams. Does Sanjay Lal believe that Ford is close to breaking out, and might we see him do it this season?

Boom or Bust?

At the end of the day with all these question marks flying around this one skill position unit it is uncertain whether or not everything pans out well. However, one thing is certain, Idzik has gone out and brought in a large amount of competition, a mantra he believes in, into a position that was in desperate need of overhaul last season.