New York Jets: Allen Hurns should be signed
The New York Jets are set to meet with free agent wide receiver Allen Hurns. They shouldn’t allow him to leave without a new contract.
Allen Hurns will be the second wide receiver to visit the New York Jets this offseason. The first was former Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor. The Jets shouldn’t allow both of them to leave East Rutherford without signing either.
He was originally scheduled to meet with them on Wednesday, but due to the impeding snow storm, his flight was cancelled, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com via Pro Football Talk. It’s unknown when it will be rescheduled.
Allen Hurn's flight to NYC was canceled due to weather per source. He'll visit the Cowboys first then the Jets.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 21, 2018
The Jets wide receiving corps is somewhat deep. However, the talent is either ascending, coming off injuries or very raw. Having a talent like Hurns would not only help any rookie coming in, if they decide to make it a point to get him early, but also the veterans who will likely be battling for the starting job.
No matter what you think of Robby Anderson, he’s not a No. 1 receiver at the moment and, frankly, shouldn’t be on the team. So, signing Hurns accomplishes two things: It puts Anderson on notice that his off the field issues won’t be tolerated, and it also gives the Jets a No. 1 threat.
Some may look at his numbers and say he’s not worth it, but that’s not the case. He’s proven that when he’s the No. 1 guy he will produce. In 2015, Hurns had 105 targets, 1,031 yards, 16.1 yards per catch, and 10 touchdowns.
In 2017, Hurns was targeted 56 times, had 39 catches and two drops. He averaged 8.6 yards per target (second-highest of his four-year career), and had his highest catch rate of his career. So, it’s a sign of just needing the ball to go his way more.
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The Jets traded away both second round picks this year. Thus, they have to find a true No. 1 target via free agency for 2018. Hurns fills an immediate need, and the Jets still have enough cap space over the next two seasons to make this happen. It would be a mistake by Mike Maccagnan to allow him to leave East Rutherford without signing a contract.