Getty NFL wide receiver Will Fuller warming up before the start of a game.
This week the New York Jets lost one of their pending free agents.
Wide receiver Keelan Cole signed a one-year deal to jump from the east coast to the west coast joining the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now that leaves a void in the Gang Green receiving corps ahead of the 2022 season.
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Something to Keep an Eye On
With Cole gone, the Jets need to make another addition to the receiving corps.
On the Badlands feed analyst, Joe Caporoso highlighted a former first-round pick that could make a lot of sense:
“Even if you believe in the Denzel Mims revival story, we saw last year how injuries can quickly rip apart a wide receiver room. The Jets need to overdo it with depth that doesn’t involve Jeff Smith. Will Fuller would all give more juice and depth to the current receiver group.”
The 28-year-old wideout is still available in free agency after a very weird 2021 season with the Miami Dolphins.
He only played in two games and registered four catches for 26 yards. Fuller broke his thumb in Week 4 and suffered a setback according to former head coach Brian Flores and missed the rest of the year.
Prior to that, he spent the first five years of his career with the Houston Texans. Fuller originally entered the NFL as the No. 21 overall pick in the first round.
During his time with the Texans, he developed a reputation as a deep threat with an affinity for making big plays:
- 14.9 yards per reception
- 24 touchdowns
- 3,136 receiving yards
A Connection That Makes Sense
The Jets want to open up their offense in 2022.
With a rebuilt offensive line and an improved running game, the play-action and deep passing game should thrive.
Fuller possesses elite speed with his 4.32 40-yard dash from the NFL combine. If you combine that with Zach Wilson’s rocket launcher that is surgically attached to his shoulder, that could be a lethal combination.
Although the one problem with Fuller throughout his professional career is staying healthy.
He has never played a full season in his six-year playing career. Specifically Fuller has missed at least five games every season over the last five years.
The good news for the Jets is they won’t have to solely rely on Fuller’s services. They are four deep at wide receiver with Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Garrett Wilson, and Braxton Berrios.
With a smaller workload than normal, perhaps the juice will be worth the squeeze and you can get the best out of Fuller situationally.
Quite frankly just the threat of Fuller taking the top off of the defense even as a decoy should lighten things in the box for the green and white.
Similar to last season, he would likely sign a one-year prove-it deal with his next team. This would be a low-risk versus high-reward kind of play for the Jets in the latter stages of free agency.
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