Joe Douglas may not have finished renovating the Jets’ wide receivers room.
The NFL Network reported the Jets are “talking” with the receiver of the free agent JuJu Smith-Schuster. It is unclear how serious these conversations are, but Smith-Schuster is an interesting possibility for the Jets.
Douglas reached a contract agreement with receiver Corey Davis, giving him a $ 37.5 million deal for three years. Davis was Douglas’ main target in the position, but now he may be looking for value.
The receiver market has been weaker than expected and there has been little reported interest in Smith-Schuster. The Jets may see this as a chance to get a cheaper deal with the former Steeler than expected.
Smith-Schuster is only 24 years old and has passed 800 reception yards in three of his four seasons in Pittsburgh. His best season was in 2018, when he was a Pro Bowler and had 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. He had 97 receptions for 831 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020.
Smith-Schuster is known to have an active social media presence, which can make the Jets hesitate. It is possible that they want to meet with him before making a deal and get to know him a little more.
If the Jets signed on to Smith-Schuster, that would likely lead to the release of Jamison Crowder. Both are slot receivers and there would be no space for both. Crowder is scheduled to win $ 10 million this year, in the third year of a three-year contract he signed with the Jets in 2019. There is no guaranteed money, however, the Jets could cut it. If they cut him, they would save $ 10.4 million in wage cap space and he would carry $ 1 million in dead money expenses.
An intriguing storyline if the Jets hire Smith-Schuster is their relationship with quarterback Sam Darnold. The two played together at USC. Darnold’s future with the Jets is in the air this off season and the team can move on with him. But if they keep him, he can reunite with one of his targets in college.