This off-season, all the talk surrounding the New York Jets will be around the quarterback position. As teams league-wide make changes under center, the Jets happen to be the biggest wild card and the one that can change the entire landscape. Current quarterback Sam Darnold could be back next season, or maybe he is dealt. The Jets could use the second-overall pick to start fresh at quarterback or leverage it in a package for a star quarterback potentially on the trade block.
However, no matter what the Jets do under center, they must add weapons around their quarterback. Denzel Mims, their 2020 second-round draft pick, has long-term starting potential. Jamison Crowder, if not cut, only has one year left on his current deal. And barring a surprise development, nobody else on the roster is shoe-ins as starters.
With so many questions at the receiver position, general manager Joe Douglas is certainly to search for long-term answers at receiver this off-season. Except, he must be cautious in dealing out huge deals in a pandemic-impacted off-season. Especially to a receiver such as Will Fuller.
Caution Needed in Jets Pursuit of Will Fuller
Who is Will Fuller?
At 6-0 and 184-pounds, Will Fuller is by no means a big receiver. Then again, Fuller can make big plays anytime the ball lands in his hands. When he was selected 21st overall back in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, Fuller was coming off of a 1,258-yard, 14 touchdown junior year at Notre Dame. In that season, Fuller averaged a jaw-dropping 20.3 yards per reception.
Unfortunately, those numbers did not translate to the pros over his first few seasons. Playing opposite of DeAndre Hopkins in Bill O’Brien’s offense, Fuller struggled to establish himself early in his career. Injuries certainly played a role, as over his first three seasons, he only played in 31 of 48 games. Then, in 2015, Fuller improved as he became a bigger part of the offense by playoff time, despite only hauling in 670 yards in 11 regular-season games.
Flawed 2020 Breakout
Will Fuller’s story changed in 2020, as the fifth-year receiver finally lived up to his hype. With Hopkins gone, he was naturally the number one target for Deshaun Watson in Houston. He started every game he played, posting five games of at least 100 yards, and six straight with a touchdown. He had 879 yards, eight touchdowns, and an average of 16.6 yards per reception in 2020.
Things were looking up for the Notre Dame product until he received a suspension prior to Week 13. The receiver was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enchaining substances. Fuller went onto explain via Instagram that it was due to a “medical professional to prescribed medication that he believed to be permitted under the NFL’s drug policy.” Ultimately, it was not, as Fuller’s suspension will carry over into 2021, with one game remaining.
Fuller’s 2021 Outlook
Again, Fuller will be missing the first game of the 2021 NFL season, no matter where he signs. With the expectation being he moves on from the Texans, the New York Jets have been connected to the wideout. Fuller will be 27-years-old in 2021 and has flashed upside in being a number one receiver.
Should he remain healthy, Fuller makes for a fantastic addition to the offense, potentially playing alongside Mims and Crowder. Fuller can stretch the field, something the Jets struggled to do in 2020. Fuller will also come as a cheaper option at wideout than say, Allen Robinson. That is assuming Fuller can actually remain on the field.
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Last Word on the Jets and Will Fuller
When free agency starts next week, the New York Jets will need to add experience at receiver for whoever is under center, as Mims and possibly Crowder will not cut it. Fuller makes sense, being the potential number one target New York has seemingly been searching years for. Nevertheless, Douglas must maintain his cautious approach to free agency when negotiating with Fuller. After all, the Jets cannot afford to cough up upwards of $16-17 million per year solely based on upside and not taking past injuries into account.
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