Mike Williams was traded, Lazard is out, and the Jets need answers at receiver (or tight end)
Malachi Corley was euphoric on the sideline, catching the high that comes when you score your first NFL touchdown. Then he had that moment ripped away by an unconscionable blunder, which he didn't even realize happened until officials started reviewing it. Corley had an impressive run (his second touch of the season), bursting through the Houston Texans defense and scoring easily. Only he let go of the ball just as he was crossing the goal line. Rather than his first career touchdown, it was a turnover and a touchback since the ball trickled out of the back of the end zone.
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich told him on the sideline: "You owe us one." Defensive players consoled him. Davante Adams told Corley he's made mistakes like that in his career. And Mike Williams made a crack about how DeSean Jackson did that too, as a rookie.
A week later, it feels fitting that Williams was one of the players delivering a message to Corley, that he'd bounce back from this, that it won't define him. Corley knows that, saying on Wednesday that he's confident he'll get an opportunity to make up for it — and he'll know better next time. "I scored 200 plus touchdowns in my career and never once dropped the ball in the end zone," Corley said. "There's not too many coaching points to take from that other than hold on another six inches."
He'll get more opportunities now — or at least he should, thanks to Williams' departure . The Jets traded to veteran wide receiver to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, the end of a disappointing tenure in New York. Williams never built chemistry with Aaron Rodgers after missing all of training camp, and even as his role increased with Allen Lazard sidelined the last two games, it didn't amount to any production: 77 snaps, two targets and one catch for six yards.
Now Williams is gone, Lazard is still out for at least three more weeks (two games and a bye week) and the Jets have a void to fill at wide receiver. Depth looks like a concern, though both general manager Joe Douglas and Ulbrich said on Wednesday that they believe in the wide receivers on the roster.
"It's a move we wouldn't have made had we not felt good about the guys we have in the room," Douglas said. "We are happy with the depth we have."
However, it likely won't be as simple as plugging one player in for Williams' snaps. Here are some ways the Jets might approach it...
More Malachi
Corley presumably stands to benefit the most from the Williams trade and Lazard's absence — though whether it's position, style of play or physical stature, he has little in common with those two.
Williams (6-4) is a tall, athletic, outside receiver best at hauling in 50/50 balls and making plays down the field. Corley is shorter (5-11) and more of a slot receiver/gadget player than an outside threat, known as the "YAC king" at Western Kentucky University for his ability to make plays (and break tackles) after the catch.
Corley struggled to get going and flash that skill during training camp or the preseason, and his adjustment to the NFL — most notably NFL-caliber route running — is a reason why he barely played before the last two weeks. He was a healthy scratch in Weeks 4 though 7, which offensive play-caller Todd Downing explained was because he was still learning how to be a pro, and because of the Jets' "embarrassment of riches" at wide receiver.
To this point (and in college) Corley has been almost exclusively a slot receiver. During the preseason, he played 60 snaps out of the slot and five out wide. So far this season, in a very limited role, he's played eight snaps out of the slot and five out wide. He has one carry for 18 yards (and a fumble) and one catch for 14 yards — not exactly what the Jets had in mind when they drafted him in the third round and claimed he was graded as the fourth-best wide receiver in the entire 2024 draft class.
The Jets like to use both Adams (43 snaps in the slot the last two weeks) and Garrett Wilson (21 snaps in the slot) inside and outside, which might limit how much action Corley sees right away. His real path onto the field in the immediate future (until Lazard returns) will be in the running game. Ulbrich raved about his run blocking.
"To be the blocker that he is is pretty astounding to me, especially a guy that's young and still learning his way," Ulbrich said. "He is violent, he is relentless, he is unselfish in that way."
Ulbrich said he told Corley a couple weeks ago that if he keeps blocking like that, "we're going to set up a pretty cool play-pass off that," he said. "And he's like: 'Coach, I don't need a play-pass. I need to prove to this team who I am right now.' So he's fully embracing that."
Rodgers was asked about Corley on Wednesday and threw in an interesting caveat about Corley's playing time: He needs to contribute on special teams.
"He's earned the right to be back on the field," Rodgers said. "Any young player, the quickest way to being on the field is special teams, so the more that I think he takes ownership of the special teams reps, and the more his role increases on special teams, the more he's going to have opportunities in the offensive snaps as well."
-half predictions: Rodgers chases records, trade deadline plans, playoff hopesMore Irv Charles
An interesting addition to what Rodgers said about Corley's special teams reps: Unprompted, he brought up Charles, a special-teams demon who has carved out a role as the Jets' best gunner. He hasn't played much on offense, but Rodgers believes Charles has earned the right to take some of the snaps vacated by Williams' departure.
"Irv does so much for us," Rodgers said. "He's a super unselfish guy, absolute menace on special teams, but he had a nice training camp at receiver, so I'd love to see him get some opportunities as well."
With Lazard out, Charles is the most obvious fit style-wise to fill in for Williams, though he hasn't shown much as a receiver in the NFL. Charles has ideal size (6-4, 219) for an outside receiver and Rodgers clearly trusts him; in the Steelers game, Charles subbed in on the goal line and Rodgers immediately targeted him on a fade (it fell incomplete). In total, he's played five offensive snaps and was targeted once. In the preseason, he ran five routes and wasn't targeted. He ran 17 routes last season and was targeted once. He played 43 offensive snaps overall last year — 35 outside, eight inside.
If Rodgers wants to see more of Charles on offense, bank on seeing more of Charles on offense.
More Tight Ends
The Jets are no strangers to multi-tight end looks, though they haven't been especially effective this season. They've run the 15th-most plays with two or three tight ends on the field, but only average four yards per play on those snaps, which ranks 26th in the NFL. In 12 personnel, the most common two tight end formation (with one running back), the Jets are averaging 2.9 yards per rush, which ranks 29th.
Tyler Conklin has had an up-and-down season but he's scored two touchdowns in the last three weeks and remains a reliable weapon in the passing game.
Jeremy Ruckert has not been reliable. The 2022 third-round pick has 10 catches for 50 yards and has taken a step back as a run blocker. Pro Football Focus has him graded 49th of 53 tight ends with at least 100 run-blocking snaps. Per TruMedia, the Jets are averaging 3.1 yards per rush and 6.1 yards per pass with Ruckert on the field — and 5.1 yards per rush and 6.8 yards per pass when he's off the field.
Don't be surprised if Kenny Yeboah starts cutting into his workload in the coming weeks. Yeboah spent the first eight weeks on injured reserve but came back last week against the Texans and made a nice 12-yard catch in the fourth quarter. He's popular in the locker room and the coaching staff loves him — as does Rodgers, who called Yeboah an "energy glue guy for us" after the Texans win.
"To get him a catch was really special," Rodgers said.
Other options
Xavier Gipson has played a lot without contributing a lot on offense — 97 offensive snaps, four receptions for 23 yards and one touchdown. He's also, like Corley, more of a slot receiver and gadget player, though Gipson has the trust of Rodgers, something Corley is still in the process of trying to earn. Still, Corley has a more dynamic skillset and probably should be playing ahead of Gipson on offense.
The Jets also have two wide receivers on the practice squad: Jason Brownlee and Brandon Smith . Brownlee was a fun story last year, making the team with Gipson as undrafted rookies. He made some flashy plays during training camp and the preseason — both this year and last — but wasn't consistent enough to warrant a 53-man roster spot this year. He was cut after training camp, passed through waivers and came back on the practice squad.
In the preseason, Brownlee ran 58 routes and was targeted 12 times, catching five for 47 yards and a touchdown (though the quarterback play was poor).
Smith had an efficient preseason: five targets, five receptions for 120 yards, including catches that went for 37 and 39 yards. He also has good size (6-2, 220), making him an intriguing potential practice-squad call-up.
(Top photo of Corley: Kevin R. Wexler / NorthJersey.com via Imagn Images)
