Malachi Corley had plenty of excitement surrounding him when the New York Jets selected the dynamic playmaker in the third round of last year’s draft. However, in his rookie season, Corley disappointed tremendously.
Now going into his second season, is there a chance that Corley doesn’t make the roster?
The injury bug has bitten Malachi Corley
According to Craig Moffett of Jets Wire, the Jets and Aaron Glenn have a plan that they want to implement for Malachi Corley. However, that plan might not come to fruition if Corley is unable to get healthy and get on the field.
“The same can’t be said for Malachi Corley, who did not participate all last week due to injury,” Moffett wrote. “Glenn has said that he has a plan for Corley, but it becomes very frustrating for the head coach to implement the plan if the player can’t get on the field.
“The deck is stacked against Corley. He’ll need to stand out during training camp and the preseason if he has any chance whatsoever to make the team.”
The injury bug has struck Corley, leaving him unable to participate in minicamp due to an undisclosed injury. This isn’t a good sign, because he is already down the depth chart after being selected in the third round last season.
Corley has the potential to be a solid NFL player, but in order for that to happen, he needs to get and stay healthy.
Jets’ staff seems to believe odds are stacked up against the receiver
It isn’t just the media that believes Corley could be on the roster bubble. Both the offensive coordinator, and head coach see that there is a problem with Corley.
“So he is going to have to find a way to catch himself up with that stuff,” New Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand told the media. “Just do what he is asked to do. Ultimately, be out there and be present.”
This response from Engstrand, when asked about Corley getting into the wide receiver competition, indicates the second-year playmaker has to climb his way back up the ranks. That can be hard for young players to do, especially if they are dealing with injuries.
As a draft choice from former GM Joe Douglas last offseason, Corley doesn’t have any ties to this new regime. It is an uphill battle for the second year receiver, who is trying to claw his way back up the depth chart.
