The New York Jets are cleaning house:
And now the Jets are parting ways with WR Eric Decker, sources tell ESPN. Have told WR they either will release or trade him this week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 6, 2017
David Harris today.
Eric Decker tomorrow.
Jets' vets becoming endangered species.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 6, 2017
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets’ veterans are dropping like flies. But for our purposes, wide receiver Eric Decker is the more intriguing name to watch.
Decker was a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos back in 2010, and played under John Fox in Denver from 2011 to 2013. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound receiver put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his last two years with the Broncos, where he averaged 86 receptions, 1,176 yards, and scored a total of 24 touchdowns.
Of course, John Fox coaches the Chicago Bears now. And it’s not like this current crop of wide receivers couldn’t use an upgrade.
From 2011 to 2015, Decker was one of the NFL’s more reliable receivers with a per-16 game average of 76 catches, 1,016 yards, and 10 touchdowns. He played in at least 15 games in each of those five seasons, starting in 72 of the 78 games he appeared in. This includes his first two seasons with the Jets, in which he made 154 catches, gained 1,989 receiving yards, and hauled in 17 touchdown catches. Decker played in just three games in 2016, due to a shoulder injury that placed him on season-ending injured reserve in October.
Unless the Jets find a trade partner before they officially part ways with Decker by releasing him, Decker will join the recently released Jeremy Maclin as the two biggest names on the free agent market after post-June 1 cuts. The move would clear $5.76 million in cap savings, according to CBS New York.