NY Jets: Enough of the veteran WRs, ‘time for a youth movement’ in 2020

The NY Jets have a void at wide receiver heading into 2020. Here’s why they should start a youth movement and avoid the veteran route this offseason.

Over the years the NY Jets have had a glaring hole at the wide receiver position, but the team has tried to fix that issue with veteran bandaids.

Some of the names include but aren’t limited too: Demaryius Thomas, Jermaine Kearse, Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Percy Harvin, Santonio Holmes, and Braylon Edwards to name a few.

Our Boy Green spoke to Connor Rogers on The Jets Zone this week and he believes it’s time for a youth movement:

“Right now the NY Jets don’t have a No. 1 wide receiver on the team. If Robby Anderson leaves in free agency, you don’t have a No. receiver. Jamison Crowder is a really solid No. 3, but you don’t want to bump him up as your first or second-best option.

I’m not giving Emmanuel Sanders who’s a 30 something-year-old (will be 33 by the start of the 2020 season) a three year or a four-year deal. Actually I’m not giving him any kind of deal. I’ve been a fan of his for a while but the team needs to get younger.

Enough of the veterans like Demaryius Thomas or guys that Adam Gase likes or that he’s comfortable with. That has to stop.

When you look at it I’m surprised they haven’t made a harder effort to keep Robby Anderson. From everything I’ve heard internally from the team, they haven’t been very realistic about bringing him back. Maybe that’ll change when they realize how dire of a situation they’re in.

I think this Jets team is going to grab a wide receiver with one of those “Day 2″ picks (second or third round) and that player will be relied on pretty heavily right away in year No. 1.”

The #Jets Zone w/ @BoyGreen25 feat. @ConnorJRogers, @sticktofootball:– Who should #NYJ chase in free agency?– What Sam Darnold has to do to become an elite quarterback.– Connor explains huge gap between Jerry Jeudy & "Day 2" wide receivers.#TakeFlighthttps://t.co/yGYPLotME2

— The Jets Zone (@TheJets_Zone) February 12, 2020

Recently the NY Jets have been linked to several veteran wide receivers (Sanders and Sammy Watkins, full details here). Although they say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

The team has gone the veteran route in the past and it has worked in the short term, but it has simply delayed the inevitable: the Jets need young wide receivers to build around.

In the 21st century, the NY Jets have used only one first-round pick on a wide receiver (Santana Moss, 2001). During that same span, the team has drafted two wide receivers in the second round (Stephen Hill, 2012; Devin Smith, 2015).

The NFL Draft isn’t a perfect science, it’s a lottery system and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But using only three lottery tickets (mentioned above) in 20 years out of 39 possible first or second-round picks since 2000 simply isn’t good enough.