This offseason, the New York Jets decided to bring in Terrelle Pryor on a one-year $4.5 million contract. Pryor is just two years removed from a 1,000-yard season. However, injuries derailed him in his lone season with the Washington Redskins.
The real question is whether the polarizing 29-year-old can produce for the Jets offense coming off of ankle surgery. New offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates will likely retain the West Coast scheme that brought success to quarterback Josh McCown through 13 games. Pryor should fit well in this scheme, utilizing his size as an advantage on multiple levels of the field.
A Look At The Talent
Pryor joins a receiving corps that has talent despite their lack of wins. Robby Anderson has been operating as the number one receiver and would’ve had 1000 yards last season if McCown hadn’t gotten hurt. Anderson can blow the top off of a defense, but off the field issues could possibly lead to a suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy.
Last year’s big addition to the offense was Jermaine Kearse, who the Jets acquired by shipping off Sheldon Richardson. Kearse played well, posting a career-best 65 receptions for over 800 yards. He was a much-needed infusion into the offense opposite Robby Anderson. Kearse was an integral target who helped make the Jets offense competitive.
Although Quincy Enunwa missed the entirety of last season due to a gruesome neck injury, he should make an impact on the Jets offense this season. In 2016, Enunwa had 58 receptions for over 850 yards. Enunwa and Anderson both have the makings of a number one receiver.
So How Do They All Fit Together?
The concern is that Pryor, Anderson, and Enunwa are all big-body, number one receiver types. Pryor and Anderson in particular do not operate inside the numbers. Looking at this group of receivers, it’s hard to predict who is on the field for three-receiver sets.
How Enunwa returns from injury will dictate the answer to that question. It is fair to say that we can expect Anderson and Pryor on the outside, with Kearse playing more in the slot. Enunwa has always struck me as a Y-receiver who can play from the slot as well.
Anderson and Kearse have both earned their playing time. However, teams don’t bring in free agents with the intention of having them on the bench. Pryor can make a difference for this team if he’s healthy, as he showed in his final season in Cleveland. The Jets top four receivers give them a lot of targets, and we can’t forget about young players such as Ardarius Stewart, Chad Hansen, and Charon Peake. Whoever is at quarterback throughout the 2018 season, they should have a plethora of options.