NY Jets should pass on veteran wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in 2020

NY Jets should pass on veteran wideout Alshon Jeffery this offseason. Here are all the details and why it would behoove them to go in a different direction.

Over the last week, rumors have run rampant that the Philadelphia Eagles would be open to dealing veteran wideout Alshon Jeffery.

Apparently the feeling is mutual because Jeffery would love a change of scenery himself, per Connor Hughes of The Athletic.

The NY Jets have a huge need at wide receiver and a lot of people have started to connect the dots.

When you start diving in there is a lot of connective tissue between Alshon and the Jets.

General manager Joe Douglas helped bring Jeffery to the Eagles in free agency and was a key cog in their Super Bowl championship run.

Prior to Adam Gase becoming the head coach of the NY Jets, he spent time as the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears when Jeffery was there (which was the best years of Alshon’s career).

On top of that when Gase was hired by the green and white Jeffery gave him a glowing review:

Alshon Jeffery is a big fan of the #Jets hiring his former #Bears OC.

“His impact will be huge. I think Darnold will excel. Knowing the Adam Gase that I know & the potential the Jets are looking for, I’m pretty sure Sam is going to be a Super Bowl MVP. He can win a Super Bowl.”

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) January 10, 2019

While all of that sounds good, there are far too many red flags to proceed any further.

Alshon Jeffery is 30 years old, he’s coming off Lisfranc surgery (isn’t expected to be ready for football activities until late summer), and his best years are far behind him.

As a matter of fact, Alshon hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2014 and in his eight years in the pros, he’s only had two 1,000 yard receiving seasons.

Jeffery has two years remaining on his contract with over $33 million on the books. So in any potential trade, the Eagles would have to eat a significant portion of that to make this work.

The NY Jets should address the need at wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft instead of acquiring an over the hill receiver who is past his prime.