NY Jets news: Jets passed on Odell Beckham Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba

The NY Jets expected to host free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on an official visit on Monday. It was meant to be the culmination of months of recruitment from the Jets' organization.

Unfortunately, that never came to be as Beckham signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The Jets weren't necessarily blindsided, however. They had an opportunity to match.

SNY's Connor Hughes reported that Beckham called the Jets Saturday night and gave the team a chance to match Baltimore's offer. The Jets opted not to, and Beckham signed with the Ravens the next day.

It's hard to argue with the Jets' decision to pass on paying Beckham $15 million. They saw Beckham as a luxury, not a necessity, and acted accordingly.

Other NY Jets news

The Jets could target Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the draft

With Beckham now off the table, the Jets will now have to resort to other options if they want to add another wide receiver. One possibility would be to consider keeping Corey Davis, although many still believe he will be involved in the eventual Aaron Rodgers trade.

If Davis does, in fact, depart, the Jets could consider targeting someone like Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the 2023 NFL Draft. Many seem to believe that's the direction the Jets should take.

Smith-Njigba is seen as one of the best wide receivers in this year's class, and although there may be more pressing needs to address at pick No. 13, it's certainly possible the Jets fall in love with his talent.

Now that Beckham is no longer an option, drafting a wide receiver, specifically Smith-Njigba, did just become more likely.

Michael Carter explains his 2022 'struggles'

Michael Carter went into the 2022 season as the Jets' incumbent RB1, but he quickly lost that job to rookie sensation Breece Hall. The opportunity was there again for Carter following Hall's injury, but he never really managed to get going.

Carter struggled mightily in 2022, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry — down from 4.3 yards per carry as a rookie. The Jets' running game was significantly worse when Hall wasn't on the field.

The former fourth-round pick caught up with ESPN's Rich Cimini after the season and explained some of his struggles last year.

"At the end of the day, it will make me a better player in Year 3, but the narrative that I totally struggled my second year is false. When you're put in a different role, you have different results."

Michael Carter

Whatever the cause, the Jets hope for a bounce-back season from Carter in 2023. With Hall still recovering from his torn ACL, the Jets need as much competent running back depth as they can get.