NY Jets’ trade offer for vet WR was denied despite being the best

The New York Jets tried to acquire a notable veteran WR but were turned down despite having the strongest offer

According to The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, the New York Jets attempted to trade for former Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy earlier this offseason. However, they were turned down despite sending a better offer than the Cleveland Browns, who eventually acquired Jeudy. Cleveland sent a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick for the Alabama product.

“Douglas also pursued former Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in March before he was dealt to the Cleveland Browns — even though the Jets actually offered more draft compensation,” Rosenblatt writes.

Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, general manager Joe Douglas has been “exploring the trade market” for a wide receiver throughout the offseason to pair with Garrett Wilson. This latest report from Rosenblatt seems to confirm that.

In reality, there’s little Douglas can do if a team decides to take lower compensation in a trade. There could always be underlying reasons why a player is dealt to one team and not another. Unfortunately, we’re unlikely to know why Denver sent Jeudy to the Browns for less – despite also being competition in the AFC. However, it is somewhat strange considering that the Broncos would later trade for quarterback Zach Wilson – who likely did not have many suitors himself.

At any rate, missing out on multiple wide receiver possibilities could mean that the Jets and Joe Douglas look to target a receiver in the 2024 NFL draft. There have been reports that the team will be “aggressive” in pursuit of Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., a former teammate of Garrett Wilson.

The Jets could also target LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers or tight end Brock Bowers (who has been the betting favorite). The team could also do something completely different, like targeting a receiver later in the draft or trading for a player like Brandon Aiyuk.

At any rate, one thing is clear: the king of due diligence has been staying busy in an attempt to add to the wide receiver room. And there’s a good possibility we see that opportunity present itself during the NFL draft.

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