NY Jets must get deal done for top trade target amid rift with head coach

The NY Jets figure to be an active team at the 2023 NFL trade deadline, as they could get rid of dead weight like Carl Lawson or Dalvin Cook while simultaneously making an upgrade at a position of need. Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has been a popular trade target, and a swap might be more realistic now than ever before.

Renfrow has just eight catches this season and 44 under Josh McDaniels. After piling up 103 receptions in Jon Gruden's final season, it is quite easy to see how he could be the safety blanket Zach Wilson needs late in the season.

Renfrow is too good to be wasting away on the bench behind players like Tre Tucker, and the Jets need one more playmaker after Cook failed to be the explosive big-play threat he was in Minnesota. These two converging storylines could lead to Renfrow in Jets green.

According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Raiders are intent on trading Renfrow away before the deadline passes, citing an inability for McDaniels and the former Clemson star to get "on the same page." Renfrow on the Jets in their new-look offense makes almost too much sense.

NY Jets must trade for Hunter Renfrow amid Raiders strife

The underperforming Randall Cobb is currently the No. 3 receiver for the Jets, and it is not an exaggeration to say he has been one of the worst players in the entire league this season. Between his high drop rate, lack of separation, and nonexistent speed, Cobb has just three catches all season long.

With Garrett Wilson emerging as a do-it-all No. 1 option and Allen Lazard giving the Jets the ability to get vertical when needed and make tough plays, Renfrow in the slot would give the Jets a much more reliable option than Cobb for an offense that wants the ball out of Wilson's hands ASAP.

The Raiders might be willing to accept something below market value to get Renfrow out of town. The Jets have multiple picks they could send out to acquire Renfrow, and they could give Lawson a shot to get back on track with a new defense.

Renfrow is not a perfect solution to the many problems that plague Nathaniel Hackett and the Jets' offense, but he is a clear upgrade at one of the most obvious positions of need. Joe Douglas needs to at least call Dave Ziegler and figure out the price.