Jets' No-Name Receiving Corps Ready To Seize An Opportunity
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Pop quiz: Name the New York Jets' No. 1 wide receiver.
For the casual football fan, that question might leave them a bit stumped. After all, Brandon Marshall, of course, is a member of the Giants and Eric Decker is in Tennessee with the Titans — both offseason cuts as the Jets slashed several high-priced veterans.
Quincy Enunwa, who has all of 80 career receptions, was expected to be at the top of New York's depth chart until a neck injury last Saturday night knocked him out for the season.
Give up? Well, the answer is: Robby Anderson.
Yep, that Robby Anderson who was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Temple last year and made the Jets with an outstanding training camp. He had 42 catches for 587 yards and two TDs last season, and now suddenly finds himself the leader of a revamped and alarmingly inexperienced group of wide receivers.
"I don't really get too caught up in that because I'm focused on trying to get better and continue to grow," Anderson said Tuesday of his rapid rise. "I'm not where I want to be in my career. I'm still building."
The Jets' receiving corps is an inexperienced bunch, consisting mostly of a mix of rookies, castoffs and players trying to jumpstart their careers. The team isn't likely to make a splash right now in free agency or trades, preferring to see how this group performs once the preseason games start.
"We don't know what we have yet because we're young," coach Todd Bowles said. "We've got to get more plays and get some preseason games under our belt to see what we are."
Here's a look at the 12 wide receivers on the Jets' active roster:
— ROBBY ANDERSON, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, 24 years old. Speedster led the NFL in preseason yards receiving last summer with 264, and increasingly became a major part of the Jets' offense.
— DESHON FOXX, 5-10, 177, 24. Undrafted free agent out of UConn spent parts of last two seasons with Seattle. Has not played in an NFL game.
— FRANKIE HAMMOND, 6-1, 184, 27. Had four catches for 45 yards and no scores in 25 games with Kansas City after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Florida. Has experience returning punts and kicks.
— CHAD HANSEN, 6-2, 202, 22. Rookie was the Jets' fourth-round pick out of California in April. Had a breakout season in his last year with the Golden Bears, leading the Pac-12 with 92 catches for 1,249 yards and 11 TDs.
— CHRIS HARPER, 5-11, 185, 23. Caught 14 passes for 162 yards and two TDs in 14 games over the last two seasons with New England (2015) and San Francisco (2016). Went undrafted out of Cal in 2015.
— GABE MARKS, 5-11, 189, 22. Undrafted rookie out of Washington State broke the Pac-12 career record for receptions with 316. Also set the school marks for touchdowns (37) and yards receiving (3,453).
— JALIN MARSHALL, 5-10, 200, 22. Former Ohio State star is entering his second season with the Jets after making team last summer as an undrafted free agent. Struggled with consistency and injuries while catching 14 passes for 162 yards and two TDs in 10 games. Suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
— CHARONE PEAKE, 6-2, 209, 24. Seventh-rounder out of Clemson last year had 19 catches for 186 yards and no scores in 15 games as a rookie. Could see an increased role this season.
— ARDARIUS STEWART, 5-11, 204, 23. Third-round pick out of Alabama in April. Has been brought along slowly after having surgeries on thumb and groin.
— MYLES WHITE, 6-0, 195, 27. Has 16 catches for 154 yards and a score in a career that has included stops with Green Bay, the Giants, Tampa Bay and twice with the Jets.
— LUCKY WHITEHEAD, 5-9, 180, 25. Was claimed by New York after being waived by Dallas following a shoplifting incident that turned out to be a case of false identity. Has just nine catches for 64 yards in two seasons, but also has value as a returner.
— MARQUESS WILSON, 6-4, 206, 24. Has the most career receptions (57), yards receiving (777) and TD catches (three) among the wide receivers on the active roster. Previously spent four injury-plagued seasons with Chicago.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)