NY Jets: Robby Anderson listed as ‘biggest bust’ candidate in 2020

NY Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson is listed as the ‘biggest bust’ candidate heading into 2020 free agency. Here are all the details.

We can all argue whether or not the NY Jets should open up the wallet to retain soon-to-be- free agent wide receiver Robby Anderson, but here’s the brutal truth: he’s getting paid this offseason.

If Gang Green doesn’t open up its wallet in 2020, one of the other 31 NFL franchises sure will.

Anderson is young (will be 27 by the start of 2020) and the free agent wide receiver market sucks. It’s a simple game of supply and demand. With a limited supply of good receivers, the average ones will get paid a premium price due to the high demand.

Ahead of free agency in March, Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton wrote a piece ranking the biggest potential busts of the 2020 NFL free agency class.

Robby Anderson was No. 1 on the list.

“The jury’s still out on if Robby Anderson will develop into a legitimate No. 1 wideout. … His route tree was nothing more than a stick his first three seasons: go deep. Now, there are a few more branches. The Jets used Anderson on screens, ins, outs, comebacks, posts, and flags, in addition to his signature go route, during camp. He’s found success on each.

Even with Anderson’s progress, he finished with a 54.2 percent catch rate and went through a five-game stretch logging fewer than 44 receiving yards this past season.

According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Anderson will push for at least $14 million annually. If a team pays him close to that number, he’s a prime candidate to underperform on a new deal.”

All of these points are duly noted and fair.

Anderson isn’t a complete receiver, he doesn’t possess a fully developed route tree, and his numbers are paltry by the NFL’s elite standards for No. wide receivers in this league.

Despite all that, he’s the best the Jets have on the outside and without him the NY Jets receiving core is barren. If the team chooses not to re-sign him, very possible, they’ll have to not only replace Anderson but will still have to improve the position overall.

Signing Anderson to a long-term deal is a complicated situation for the Jets. They don’t want another Muhammad Wilkerson situation where a player finally gets paid and then he shows no work ethic. Although on the other side of the coin, if Gang Green allows him to walk and he lights it up with a competent team, there may be some regret for letting him walk.