4 overrated free agents still available NY Jets must avoid

3. The NY Jets should think twice about signing receiver Michael Thomas

The Jets have a need to add depth to the wide receiver position to protect both in case of injury and in case of Malachi Corley taking some time to get acclimated to the jump in NFL competition. The biggest name left on the wide receiver free-agent market is former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas.

The two-time NFL receptions leader was at one point the most dominant wide receiver in the league, highlighted by his 2019 campaign that produced 149 catches, 1725 yards, and nine touchdowns en route to an Offensive Player of the Year selection.

Since then, however, Thomas's career has been marred by injury and off-field issues. Thomas has only played in 20 out of a possible 67 games including missing the entire 2021 season. Even last season, his healthiest since 2019, saw him play only 10 games.

Last season, Thomas produced just two yards of separation per NFL Next Gen Stats, ranking last among qualified receivers and worse than the abysmal NY Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard (2.2 yards of separation) who he'd presumably be replacing in the wide receiver pecking order.

The NFL is littered with the broken dreams of big-bodied wide receivers who can't separate and at this point in his career, the six-foot-three Thomas appears to be another one of those types of receivers whose effectiveness is limited at this point in time.

Maybe Thomas still has some juice left in the tank, but given that he's now 31, has an extensive injury history, has made some questionable off-field decisions, and hasn't been productive in going on five years, the Jets would be wise to stay clear and consider other options to bolster the wide receiver depth chart.