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          NFL Nation

          Jets can impress Kirk Cousins by signing a top wide receiver

          • Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 21, 2018, 12:00 PM
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              Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
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          With free agency approaching (March 14), we're analyzing each position on the New York Jets' roster and examining possible upgrades:

          Position: Wide receiver

          2018 cap hits of top returnees:

          Pending free agents: Quincy Enunwa (restricted).

          Key stat: The receiving corps held up reasonably well, considering it underwent a massive overhaul in personnel. The wideouts finished with 10 touchdowns on pass plays greater than 20 yards, tied for second in the league, per ESPN Stats & Information.

          Money matters: The Jets got their salary-cap house in order after dumping overpaid players Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Kearse has the only cap charge of significance, and that will be completely wiped off the books if he's released. They're leaning toward keeping Kearse, but it could depend on how things shake out with free agency and the draft. Enunwa probably will receive a second-round tender, an estimated $3 million.

          Big picture: They have the makings of a nice receiving corps, but there are a couple of big questions: Will Anderson's legal issues derail his promising career? Can Enunwa make a full recovery after missing last season due to neck surgery? If all goes well, they will have a solid trio with Enunwa, Kearse and Anderson, whose deep speed provides a home-run element to the offense. They've invested significant draft capital in recent years, but their high picks have yet to pan out -- the oft-injured Smith (second round, 2015), Stewart (third, 2017) and Hansen (fourth, 2017). The position screams for a No. 1 receiver.

          Free-agent market watch: Allen Robinson, Sammy Watkins, Marqise Lee, Danny Amendola, John Brown, Paul Richardson, Mike Wallace and Decker.

          Also could become available: Dez Bryant, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Michael Crabtree, Allen Hurns, Torrey Smith, Kelvin Benjamin and Marshall.

          The game plan: If the Jets really want to impress Kirk Cousins, their No. 1 free-agent target, they'll burst out of the gate by signing one of the top receivers on the market. Problem is, it'll be hard to woo a top receiver until the quarterback situation is stabilized. It's a Catch-22. One thing is clear: They need a consistent and dynamic player to lead a group of complementary receivers.

          Jarvis Landry was tagged a franchise player on Tuesday night, effectively removing him from the market. That leaves Robinson and Watkins (maybe) as the only No. 1-type receivers. It'll probably take at least $13 million-a-year to sign Robinson, and general manager Mike Maccagnan isn't one to invest heavily in offensive skill players. He believes in finding those players in the draft. If they pursue a top-tier free agent, it won't bode well for Anderson, whose off-the-field issues have clouded his long-term future.

          If the Jets want to take a chance on a sleeper, they probably can get Brown, 27, on the cheap. He's coming off two injury-plagued years, but he was a 1,000-yard receiver for the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. Coach Todd Bowles was on the Arizona staff in 2014, Brown's rookie year, so he's familiar with his game.