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One other huge receiver got here off the board on Monday, making the listing shrink slightly extra with every week to go earlier than NFL free company opens.
The Buccaneers and veteran Mike Evans agreed to a reported two-year, $52 million contract on Monday that can maintain him off the free-agent market.
He’s the newest huge receiver to be taken off the listing and he may not be the final.
The Bengals used the franchise tag on Tee Higgins and the Colts are anticipated to put the tag on Michael Pittman Jr. earlier than Tuesday’s deadline if they’re unable to achieve a long-term deal.
The place does this go away the Jets with the free-agent negotiating window opening at midday subsequent Monday?
It’s not an excellent scenario for a workforce that’s in search of a powerful complement to younger star Garrett Wilson.
If Pittman will get tagged, as anticipated, that would go away Calvin Ridley as the highest receiver anticipated to hit free company.
The Jaguars are usually not anticipated to re-sign Ridley earlier than free company opens as a result of in the event that they do the third-round decide they owe the Falcons from their commerce turns into a second-round decide.
It is smart for Jacksonville to attend even when it opens the door for groups just like the Jets.
The query for the Jets is how excessive to go within the bidding for Ridley, who had 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns final season.
He is an efficient receiver that has had off-field points and was suspended for the 2022 season for playing. However costs are exploding on the receiver market.
There was some shock Monday that Evans received $26 million per season. Pittman is anticipated to get greater than $20 million per season as soon as a deal will get performed with the Colts.
Is it smart for the Jets to speculate on the high finish of the market or would it not be smarter for them to throw that money at the offensive line and signal cheaper huge receivers or draft one within the third spherical?
After Ridley, there’s a drop-off out there. The following group of receivers is Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Gabe Davis, Darnell Mooney, Tyler Boyd and Odell Beckham Jr.
These gamers needs to be within the $10 million-$15 million per yr vary, which can be extra palatable for the Jets.
Joe Douglas received stung within the huge receiver market final season when he overpaid for Allen Lazard.
He gave Lazard a four-year, $44 million contract and Lazard ended up catching 23 passes, only one for a landing and was inactive for 3 video games late within the season.
You surprise if that will probably be at the back of Douglas’ thoughts earlier than he wades too deep into the huge receiver market.
In case you are in search of connections, Brown performed for brand spanking new Jets huge receivers coach Shawn Jefferson in 2022 with the Cardinals. Jefferson’s opinion of Brown ought to strongly form the Jets’ strategy to him.
The Jets went after Beckham final April on the request of Aaron Rodgers.
They thought they had been going to signal him till the Ravens got here in with a $16 million supply that shocked the Jets. May they revisit Beckham?
It’s unlikely that Rodgers’ opinion of Beckham has modified. However Beckham had a down season with the Ravens. He had 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns.
Douglas may select so as to add a less expensive choice in free company after which attempt to land a No. 2 huge receiver within the draft. This yr’s receiver class is taken into account deep by draft specialists.
The Jets are anticipated to focus on a deal with with their first-round decide and presently should not have a second-rounder however may draft a receiver within the third spherical.
There’s additionally the opportunity of a shock commerce creating.
Davante Adams shouldn’t be anticipated be moved by the Raiders after earlier hypothesis that he can be traded. However the huge receiver market may be powerful to foretell. Nobody anticipated the Chiefs to commerce Tyreek Hill two years in the past till it occurred.
The huge receiver highway will probably be an attention-grabbing one for Douglas to navigate over the approaching weeks and it absolutely will function loads extra twists and turns.
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