Odell Beckham Jr. replacements: Top 3 WRs Jets must target to boost Aaron Rodgers' offense
Aaron Rodgers looks to be on his way to the New York Jets, but Odell Beckham Jr. will not be joining him there. The wide receiver signed a one-year, $18 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. That marks a significant blow for the Jets, as they have widely been considered frontrunners for his signature.
Getting a wide receiver is of paramount importance to the Jets because they know that Aaron Rodgers is nearing the end of his career. Their motive is to build a team that can now win and give the four-time MVP the best chance of succeeding on offense.
Their is a cap space issue that has to be considered as well. They were $2.8 million over the designated amount when it was announced, but are currently expected to have about $4 million in free cap space at the moment. Whatever it is, they do not have much to play with, so they will have to be extra careful in how they structure their contracts.
That said, the issue still remains that they need offensive firepower to build the roster. Last season, they had a great defense, ranking fourth in the league for yards allowed per game. If they can fix the offense, they will be immediate contenders. It is especially pertinent that they get this right because they still have Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in their division, and it will not be easy to get out as the top seed there if they do not play well enough on offense.
Here are three free agent wide receivers that the New York Jets can consider pairing with Aaron Rodgers now that Odell Beckham Jr. is out of their reach for this season.
Free Agent Wide Receivers: Players who can plug an Odell Beckham Jr. shaped hole for Aaron Rodgers
#1 - Randall Cobb
One can see the way the New York Jets have been thinking so far as they pursue Aaron Rodgers. They got Nathaniel Hackett in as their offensive coordinator. The Green Bay Packers great won two MVP awards in the last three seasons, in both cases under the tutelage of Hackett. They have also signed Allen Lazard, who was a productive output for Rodgers in Wisconsin.
They should now go the whole hog and capture Randall Cobb as well. Cobb is 32 years old and will not command much space on the salary cap. He has spent two different stints with the Packers and it is no secret that his return there was in large part because of how much he and Rodgers connected together.
Randall Cobb is running it back with the #Packers. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams share Cobb’s return on IG. https://t.co/Hwd4f0HMZG
Having Randall Cobb there in New York will give Aaron Rodgers the chance to play in a familiar system. This is a critical component for any veteran quarterback who has the pressure on him to succeed immediately.
#2 - Julio Jones
The thinking behind the Jets targeting Odell Beckham Jr. was that they needed a proven commodity to play with their potential new quarterback. Now that he is off the board, the most proven player in that respect is Julio Jones. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler from his time with the Atlanta Falcons, and has experience playing with MVP-caliber quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Matt Ryan.
Most receiving yards in a single game over the past 10 seasons
Calvin Johnson - 329
Julio Jones - 300
Antonio Brown - 284
Tyreek Hill - 269
Ja’Marr Chase - 266
Josh Gordon - 261
Julio Jones - 259
Julio Jones - 253
Alshon Jeffery - 249
DeAndre Hopkins - 238
Josh Gordon - 237
In terms of like-for-like replacements for Odell Beckham Jr., he ticks all the boxes. He has played just one season each in both of his last two teams (the Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) before being deemed surplus. Even Odell Beckham Jr. did not play for the entirety of last season, but the Jets were still looking at him because of his high-level experience. If the thinking has not changed there, Julio Jones should be an obvious target. He is also 34 years old, so he should not command much cap space.
#3 - Sammy Watkins
If the New York Jets value both winning experience and familiarity of playing with Aaron Rodgers, Sammy Watkins should be on their radar too. He has previously won the Super Bowl while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. He also played the 2022 season with the Green Bay Packers, meaning he is familiar with the idiosyncrasies that Aaron Rodgers brings to the job. The quarterback reportedly also has a good rapport with him.
Aaron Rodgers on Sammy Watkins: "I'll tell you what: Every since the Saints practice, the first one, Sammy has been a different player. He's been super reliable. Every practice he's made a bunch of plays. Today, made a bunch of plays again."
Additionally, Watkins has experience playing for the Buffalo Bills and therefore knows the division well. The AFC indisputably has the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now and having the familiarity to play in that division and conference will be vital for the team going into this season. The Jets might have missed out on Odell Beckham Jr., but there is no reason to believe that they might not find even better value with Sammy Watkins and some of the others we have mentioned on this list.