With the NFL Draft less than a month away, rosters are already beginning to take shape. As the New York Jets continue to overhaul the roster, they finally addressed a major concern. After releasing Davante Adams, the team needed more out of their wide receivers behind Garrett Wilson. As a result, the team addressed the position with this latest free agent. Despite a down 2024, new signee Josh Reynolds is a solid addition to the group. After splitting time between the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars last year, Reynolds’s signing has a large part to do with this regime. After three seasons with the Detroit Lions, Reynolds knows head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand well. Josh’s addition to the Jets adds both experience and playmaking upside after Wilson, as questions loom over Allen Lazard’s future in New York.
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Aaron Glenn Brings in a Familiar Face to Help Jets WRs
Beginning a rebuild, the Jets don’t need to solve all their problems right away. Thus far, the team has done well to add depth across both sides of the ball. The secondary gained a new starting cornerback in veteran cornerback Brandon Stephens from the Baltimore Ravens. With five Super Bowl appearances and three championships on the Kansas City Chiefs, Derrick Nnadi is a great addition at defensive tackle. On offense, new starting quarterback Justin Fields is ready to prove himself after being benched for Russell Wilson last year in Pittsburgh. Adding longtime Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers was a solid signing to the interior offensive line. However, wide receiver is easier said than done.
After releasing Davante Adams, New York is thin at wide receiver. While Garrett Wilson is still a top-tier talent, Allen Lazard is the only other wide receiver to have more than 500 yards in a season. With a first-time offensive coordinator in Tanner Engstrand, the Jets needed more veterans on offense to help. Thus, the team decided to sign someone both Glenn and Engstrand were familiar with.
The New York Jets signed veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds
New York announced on Thursday that they signed veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds. A fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M in 2017, Josh Reynolds began his career with the Los Angeles Rams. After a quiet rookie season, Reynolds stepped up for the Rams after Cooper Kupp tore his ACL in 2018. Reynolds produced opposite Robert Woods and became a favorite target of quarterback Jared Goff. He finished 2018 with 402 yards and five touchdowns on 29 catches through 16 games. Reynolds even caught three catches for 28 yards in a Super Bowl loss against the New England Patriots.
Despite having good production, Reynolds wasn’t able to stop Kupp or Woods from gaining targets. Even after a career-high 618 yards on 52 catches in 2020, Reynolds tested free agency and signed with the Tennessee Titans in March of 2021. However, competing behind stars AJ Brown and a newly signed Julio Jones, Reynolds was eventually waived in November. Despite this, Reynolds did end 2021 on a high note after immediately signing with the Detroit Lions.
Reunited with Jared Goff at quarterback, Reynolds became a valuable part of the Lions offense. Between his three-season tenure from 2021 to 2023, Reynolds had 1,393 yards and ten touchdowns on 97 receptions in 29 total games. His best season came in 2023 after catching 608 yards on 40 catches and his second five-touchdown season of his career. After a brutal performance in the 2024 NFC Championship game, Reynolds left Detroit to sign with Denver last season on the Broncos with current Jets GM Darren Mougey. After being cut by the Broncos, Reynolds opted to finish the season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He finished 2024 with only 193 yards and one touchdown on 13 catches.
Josh Reynolds’s value to the offense
Even after a rough 2024 season, Josh Reynolds can be a useful part of this offense. The Jets needed height in their wide receiver room outside of 6’5″ Allen Lazard. Luckily, Josh Reynolds fits the criteria at 6’3″ and 192 lbs. Reynolds’s height gives New York another option to win on 50/50 balls near the goal line. More importantly, it will allow New York to get more creative in how Fields can get Garrett Wilson the ball in short and immediate routes. In addition, Reynolds will also help both running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen with his usefulness as a downfield run blocker. Tanner Engstrand saw this first-hand when Reynolds was playing in Ben Johnson’s offense back in Detroit.
In addition, it gives New York the chance to have more financial flexibility as well. With both Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams off the team, I wouldn’t be shocked if Lazard joins his ex-Green Bay Packers teammates in free agency. If the Reynolds signing is meant to replace Allen Lazard, New York could opt to release Lazard. If so, it would create just over $12 million in dead cap space over three years but save $14 million overall. They can free up $6.6 million right now and $8.8 million in 2026. This can be useful as New York attempts to extend both star wide receiver Garrett Wilson and star cornerback Sauce Gardner soon.
Main Photo: [Junfu Han] – USA Today Sports
