NY Jets host former Pro Bowl WR on a surprising visit

The NY Jets are clearly looking to improve their wide receiver depth, and they're exploring at least one big name in the process. That big name is former Pro Bowl wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

The Jets hosted five players on an official visit on Tuesday, and Golladay was among three wide receivers brought in for a tryout. The other two were former Baltimore Ravens sixth-round pick James Proche and everyone's favorite former Jets receiver, Jeff Smith.

The team also hosted former Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown and undrafted rookie running back Ellis Merriweather. Brown, an undrafted rookie in 2022, started one game for the Ravens last season, while Merriweather spent the summer with the New Orleans Saints.

Golladay is undoubtedly the most notable name on this list, however. The former Detroit Lions star recorded just six catches in 12 games with the New York Giants last season, but he has a prior track record of success in Detroit.

The NY Jets hosted Kenny Golladay on a visit

A third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Golladay broke out in his second season with the Lions, recording his first 1,000-yard campaign. He followed that up with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2019 when he finished with 65 catches for 1,190 yards and an NFL-best 11 receiving touchdowns.

An injury-riddled 2020 season derailed his momentum, but that didn't stop him from signing a massive four-year, $72 million contract with the Giants the next offseason.

Unfortunately, Golladay would catch just 43 passes as a member of the Giants, only recording one touchdown in the process. It was a significant fall from grace for a player who was once one of the brightest young wide receivers in the NFL.

The Jets have seven wide receivers on their active roster, but that includes undrafted rookies Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson, as well as 2022 undrafted free agent Irvin Charles. None of the three have played in an NFL regular-season game.

The team also doesn't have a wide receiver on their practice squad, so it makes sense that they're exploring an addition at the position. Proche has some name value as well, having spent the last three seasons as a depth receiver in Baltimore.

As for Brown, the Jets seem to be pretty set at the quarterback position, so his workout might be more about the team looking for a scout QB that compares favorably to the quarterbacks they face early in the season. Merriweather is likely just extra competition for practice squad running back Xazavian Valladay.

Golladay is the main story here. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Jets aren't expected to sign Golladay at this time, but the door is seemingly open if the two sides want to reconvene in the future.

The Jets are sniffing around the wide receiver market. Don't be surprised if they make an addition before Week 1.