Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of a press conference.
Just when you thought that you’d seen everything.
Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report presented a “shocking” trade proposal that revolved around the New York Jets giving up on a free agent they had just signed months ago.
Dallas Cowboys receive: wide receiver Mike Williams
New York Jets receive: a 2025 third-round draft choice
The rationale behind this ridiculous trade pitch was, “If the Jets believe their season might go nowhere from the start” why not trade Williams, according to Tansey.
*Slaps hand on face.*
It Is What It Is Now for the Jets
There are plenty of local and national skeptics on whether the Jets will be a Super Bowl contender this season.
You can choose to believe or not believe in them. However inside that building, the green and white are drinking their own Kool-Aid. They believe they are on an elite and very short list of teams that have legitimate championship aspirations.
Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller joined me on “Boy Green Daily” and explained why the Jets are the most “all in” team he has seen in the last 40 years.
The suggestion that the Jets, after investing $8.3 million in guaranteed money, would give up on a player they expect to be a key cog on the team within the same offseason that they signed him is completely baffling.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Tansey doubled down on his take by explaining if rookie wideout Malachi Corley “has a breakout summer” he could essentially take Williams’ spot in the offense.
That doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.
Corley lined up in the slot 91.6% of the time during his three years at Western Kentucky, per Dane Brugler of The Athletic in The Beast. Over that same period, Williams lined up in the slot at the NFL level only 20.06% of the time, per Pro Football Focus.
In other words, Corley breaking out or not breaking out has absolutely nothing to do with Williams. They can both eat in this offense with Corley lining up in the slot and Williams being primarily a boundary receiver. Over the last three seasons, Williams has lined up out wide 79.56% of the time, per PFF.
Williams Is the Perfect Robin to Garrett Wilson’s Batman
Garrett Wilson has put up numbers despite wayward quarterback play and the lack of a consistent playmaker across from him.
Williams can open things up for Wilson, create his own opportunities, and take this offense to another level.
The possibilities are limitless, but it is all dependent on the health of Williams. He is recovering from a torn ACL and he’s been forced to miss 18 games over the last two years.
Every ACL tear isn’t created equally. How Williams will heal can be vastly different from another player like Breece Hall. That is some word salad to say we won’t know what version of Williams the Jets are getting until we see him in training camp and more specifically once the season starts.
If he’s available, the Jets can boast one of the best offenses in football. Without him, it’s difficult to see how the Jets get there based on their other wide receiver personnel.