The New York Jets are in the business of acquiring a veteran wide receiver.
ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler revealed that the green and white were one of several teams that expressed interest in Denver Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy.
Became clear this week Denver was warming up to finally trading Jerry Jeudy, who had interest from five or six teams, including #Jets and #Patriots, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 9, 2024
Ultimately the Broncos shipped him off to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2024 fifth and a 2024 sixth-round pick.
Jets Will Continue to Investigate the Wide Receiver Trade Market
Rich Cimini of ESPN said on social media that, “Exploring the WR trade market makes sense for [the] Jets. Not many great FA [free agent] options. [Calvin] Ridley will get overpaid. Then there’s [Marquise] Brown, [Tyler] Boyd, [and] [Odell] Beckham [Jr] [are] (all possibilities) — WR2/3 types.”
Exploring the WR trade market makes sense for #Jets. Not many great FA options. Ridley will get overpaid. Then there’s Brown, Boyd + Beckham (all possibilities) — WR2/3 types
Exploring the WR trade market makes sense for #Jets. Not many great FA options. Ridley will get overpaid. Then there's Brown, Boyd + Beckham (all possibilities) — WR2/3 types
Trade market includes C. Sutton (2 yrs/$27.5M left on deal). Had 8 red-zone TDs, t-1st with Lamb among…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 9, 2024
Cimini mentioned two trade possibilities that the Jets could consider this offseason.
Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton has two years left on his contract for a reasonable $27.5 million. Cimini noted that his eight touchdowns in the red zone last season were tied for first in the league.
The other name Cimini mentioned was Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
“[Johnson] had 12th-highest ‘open’ score, per ESPN metric (which also measures separation on non-targets). Johnson has 1 yr/$10M left on deal (incl $3M roster bonus on the 16th),” Cimini revealed on X previously Twitter.
Trade Breadcrumbs on Social Media for Jets Fans to Consume
“The Steelers are open to listening to trade offers on WR Diontae Johnson. There is interest from teams around the league as GMs are getting set for free agency,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic shared on social media on Saturday, March 9.
The Steelers are open to listening to trade offers on WR Diontae Johnson. There is interest from teams around the league as GMs are getting set for free agency.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 9, 2024
Johnson, 27, is an intriguing player on an affordable contract. He has one year left on his deal and is owed $10 million in cash in 2024.
The Jets are searching for two things by adding a proven wide receiver two to this offense.
No. 1 they want to provide Aaron Rodgers with as many offensive weapons as possible. You can’t invest enough on the offensive side of the ball after the disaster that was the 2023 season.
No. 2 the team knows they need to give Garrett Wilson more help. He put up insane statistical production despite the uneven quarterback situation and the lack of other pieces around him.
He has openly expressed his frustration both on the sidelines and during press conferences with the media.
Benjamin Solak of The Ringer delivered a warning that if the Jets don’t fix these issues Wilson isn’t going to want to play for the team anymore.
.@BenjaminSolak said #Jets WR Garrett Wilson is a top-10 receiver ‘in terms of talent’ but admitted that he was ‘worried’ about him coming out of college.
‘I was like alright the guy got away with a lot of stuff at Ohio State. In the #NFL it can get a little tighter, a little… pic.twitter.com/UWsm2sea8b
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 8, 2024
Sutton had a funny reaction on social media to all of the changes on the Broncos roster over the last couple of weeks. He posted the Will Smith GIF of him in the living room all by himself.
— Courtland Sutton (@SuttonCourtland) March 9, 2024
It’s unclear if the Jeudy trade makes Sutton more or less likely to be dealt away this offseason. In one respect, they need someone to throw the ball to next season. However, they could continue the exodus and save more money on the cap.
If the Jets were already on the phone for Jeudy, as Fowler reported, then they should either stay on the line or call back and explore the Sutton possibility.
