NY Jets: 3 wide receivers the team could still target in a trade

The NY Jets could consider trading for these three wide receivers to further revamp their offense.

The NY Jets will host a revamped wide receiver corps going into the 2020 season. While slot receiver Jamison Crowder will return, his fellow starting wideouts will not.

De facto No. 1 wideout Robby Anderson departed in free agency to join the Carolina Panthers and he was replaced by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers speedster Breshad Perriman.

Meanwhile, veteran Demaryius Thomas wasn’t re-signed and rookie Denzel Mims was brought in to hopefully be the future at the position. General manager Joe Douglas made a noble effort and there are reasons to be optimistic about the unit.

However, it’s clear that there is still plenty of work to be done.

Perriman is hardly an established starter, Mims remains a huge wild card in year one, and the depth behind them is almost non-existent. The team could use further upgrading at arguably their weakest offensive position group.

Unfortunately, upgrades are hard to come by in mid-July.

The free-agent market has all but dried up and unless they want to bring back a declining Thomas, their options are very limited. For that reason, perhaps the Jets could explore the trade market to find some value.

Now, we’re not going to be discussing any star player that the Jets will have to give up major assets for. Instead, we’ll be looking at some players who find themselves in the center of trade talks for one reason or another.

And none of them should drive an awful hard bargain.

Let’s take a look at three wide receivers the Jets could consider trading for as the season approaches.

Next: 3. Hakeem Butler

3. The NY Jets could trade for Hakeem Butler

The Arizona Cardinals selected Hakeem Butler in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft expecting to get a potential superstar in the making with sky-high potential.

And while he was expected to get eased into the offense given his overall rawness, hopes were high for Butler in his rookie season. Then he suffered a broken hand in the preseason and was placed on the injured reserve.

He would miss all of 2019 rendering his rookie year completely meaningless. And now, he finds himself the subject of trade rumors after the Cardinals made some moves at the wide receiver position in the offseason.

Arizona traded for superstar DeAndre Hopkins and returns the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, and Andy Isabella. Meanwhile, guys like KeeSean Johnson and Trent Sherfield could very well enter the summer ahead of him on the depth chart.

Butler might struggle to find his footing in a crowded Arizona offense and the Jets could possibly swoop in.

Perhaps the most physically-gifted receiver in the 2019 draft class, Butler possesses a rare blend of size, strength, and athleticism that is unmatched by most NFL receivers.

While he’s still rough around the edges as an overall receiver, his physical traits make him an ideal long-term project who the Jets could develop into a legitimate playmaker if all goes according to plan.

A mid-round pick would probably be enough to pry him away from the Cardinals who don’t really have room for him. And if that’s the case, it’s an opportunity the Jets mustn’t pass on.

Next: 2. Curtis Samuel

2. The NY Jets could trade for Curtis Samuel

Rumors regarding Curtis Samuel‘s future in Carolina swirled around draft season this past April, but nothing ultimately resulted from it. Samuel is still a member of the Panthers and he’s expected to fill a starting role this season.

But for the right price, Carolina could be willing to move on.

Samuel started 15 games last season hauling in 54 catches for 627 yards and six touchdowns despite playing the majority of the year with abysmal quarterback play. And at his best, Samuel could be a dynamic playmaker in any offense.

But entering the final year of his rookie deal, the Panthers seem unlikely to offer him an extension which has sparked those trade rumors. On top of that, the signing of former Jets wideout Robby Anderson has rendered him more expendable.

And the Jets could make a move for the former Ohio State star as a result.

Samuel is a shifty, athletic receiver who could be used in a variety of ways. From excelling in the slot to making an impact on gadget plays, Samuel would be a useful player for head coach Adam Gase to utilize.

And on an offense lacking much in the way of experience, at least Samuel would represent a player with a prior starting pedigree who could fill an immediate void in the passing game.

Perhaps a fourth or fifth-round pick would be enough to convince the Panthers to trade away their projected starting slot receiver. And if so, it’s an offer the Jets should seriously consider.

Next: 1. Dante Pettis

1. The NY Jets could trade for Dante Pettis

It wasn’t long ago that Dante Pettis looked like one of the rising young star receivers in the NFL. But just one year later, he finds himself as the forgotten man in the San Francisco 49ers’ receiving corps.

A second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Pettis put together a solid rookie campaign that saw him finish with 27 receptions for 467 yards and five touchdowns.

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Going into 2019, Pettis was a presumptive starter on a still-thin 49ers receiver depth chart. But a disappointing offseason landed him in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s dog house and he never really recovered.

Pettis made just 11 catches last season and found himself as a healthy scratch for a handful of games. And now going into 2020, his role in the offense remains very uncertain.

The 49ers are reportedly open to trading Pettis for the right price and that could play right into the Jets’ plans.

Pettis is an exciting downfield threat on par with guys like Perriman and Mims who the Jets added in the offseason. He showed incredible promise in his rookie season and is the perfect example of a player who simply needs a change of scenery.

That change of scenery could come with a move to the east coast where he could look to revitalize his career with the Jets.

Much like the other two, a mid-round pick should be enough to get it done given how far he’s fallen on the depth chart.

And given his former second-round pick status, that’s a deal that’s difficult to ignore.