Why Jamison Crowder is the perfect fit for what Jets need at WR

With the offseason now in full swing for the New York Jets, it’s becoming clear that signing Jamison Crowder may have been the perfect move for the green and white.

Following the end of another disappointing season for the New York Jets, it was obvious that changes needed to be made in Florham Park. It was also obvious that the team would be spending big in free agency given that the organization had over $100 million at its disposal.

With that money, the Jets certainly made some big moves, coming to terms on lucrative deals with star running back Le’Veon Bell and highly touted linebacker C.J. Mosley. The team also, however, signed Jamison Crowder to a three-year $28.5 million contract and it’s become clear that the 25-year-old may just be the perfect fit to fill the Jets’ need at wide receiver.

Heading into the offseason, the goal for the Jets was clear: surround quarterback Sam Darnold with as much talent as possible. Achieving that goal included signing a dynamic playmaker like Bell and bolstering the offensive line a bit with the addition of Kelechi Osemele, but improving the wide receiving corps was also a focus.

In regards to the weapons Darnold had at his disposal during his rookie season, receivers Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson along with promising tight end Chris Herndon stand out. The Jets do, however, lack a true a No. 1 receiver. With Crowder, the Jets won’t get that but the former Washington Redskin should fit perfectly into the Jets’ current group and give Darnold a wide variety of options.

After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Crowder has dealt with some injuries but when healthy, he’s proven to a dangerous asset playing in the slot. In 2015, for example, he totaled 59 receptions for 604 yards and two touchdowns.

He continued that success over the next two years, bringing in 67 receptions for 847 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016 and finishing with 66 receptions for 847 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2017. Last season, however, was a bit of a down year for Crowder as totaled just 29 receptions, 388 yards, and two touchdowns due to missing time with an ankle injury.

Given his injury-riddled season last year, there may be a bit of concern regarding Crowder but if he is healthy – and all signs indeed point to him being healthy – he has the ability to elevate the Jets offense.

A strong route runner with excellent quickness,  Crowder excels in open space and is incredibly reliable when it comes to picking up yards after the catch as evidenced by the fact that he’s averaged above 10.0 yards per catch in each of his four NFL seasons to date.

Aside from his skill set, however, Crowder should fit nicely into the Jets offensive scheme. Given that he plays primarily in the slot, having Crowder on the field will give new head coach Adam Gase the ability to be creative and versatile with Anderson and Enunwa, something that didn’t happen last year.

Ultimately, the Jets are still in search of a legitimate, elite-level No. 1 receiver, but acquiring one didn’t seem to be an option this offseason. By signing Crowder, however, the Jets effectively improved their offense by giving both Gase and Darnold more options to work with.

Simply put, the versatile Crowder seems to be the perfect fit for the new look Jets.