The NY Jets may be in the process of trimming their roster down in anticipation of the first game of the season against the San Francisco 49ers, but that doesn't mean Joe Douglas is going to possibly stop acquiring talent. The Houston Texans may have just gift-wrapped a nice veteran for the Jets to snag.
The Texans had too many receivers of note to fit in the room, as the addition of Stefon Diggs and the continued development of Nico Collins squeezed out some veterans. Rather than parting with former top 50 pick John Metchie III, it was a former Cowboy who got the axe.
The Texans released wide receiver Noah Brown, who plied his high school trade at Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta. After a productive stint at Ohio State and multiple quality years with the Dallas Cowboys, Brown has run out of road after one season in Houston.
With the Jets poised to lean on the thoroughly average Xavier Gipson, the overwhelmingly disappointing Allen Lazard, and a third-round rookie in Malachi Corley to fill important receiver roles, one more big addition could be needed. Brown is worth rolling the dice on.
NY Jets should consider signing Noah Brown after Texans release
Brown is coming off the best season of his career. Brown caught 33 passes for 567 yards and two touchdowns, linking up fairly often with rookie sensation C.J. Stroud. Brown's best two games came in Weeks 9 and 10 against the Buccaneers and Bengals, as he followed a 153-yard game with a 172-yard showing the following week.
Listed at 6-2 and a robust 215 pounds, the muscular Brown has proven to be a fairly reliable presence when going over the middle. As his over 17 yards per catch last year in Houston shows, Brown is more than capable of going deep down the field when the situation calls for it.
The Jets seem resigned to the fact that Lazard is no longer going to be in the long-term picture barring an insane reversal of fortune. While it might be tough for them to eat that money, Brown was a much more productive player than Lazard was last year, and he'll only cost a fraction of the price.
If the Jets are unsold on Gipson's or Corley's ability to be a productive, traditional wide receiver, getting Brown could be a way to guard against any possible young struggles.