The New York Jets have had a very busy offseason headlined by signing running back Le'Veon Bell and linebacker C.J. Mosley. But another significant signing the Jets made that is somewhat flying under the radar is wide receiver, Jamison Crowder.
While it was mentioned as a good move when New York inked Crowder to a three-year deal, we haven't heard all that much about Crowder since, with all of the focus on Bell, Sam Darnold and what should be a really solid Jets defense.
I guess you can somewhat see why, as Crowder played in just nine games during his final season with the Washington Redskins in 2018 due to an ankle injury. Plus, in 2017, Crowder was limited with hamstring issues.
So, perhaps people are worried about Crowder's health moving forward, which is absolutely a legitimate concern.
But if Crowder remains healthy in 2019, he could end up being a critical piece of a Jets offense that should be much improved.
What we do know about the 25-year-old is this: he will be New York's slot receiver this coming season, with Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa handling the outside spots.
Still, in today's NFL, slot receivers get a whole lot of attention on offense and are frequently seen as a quarterback's security blanket, and the sure-handed Crowder could represent that for Darnold.
Of course, the question here is, just how much will Crowder provide Fantasy Football owners in 2019?
What we need to examine is how good Crowder was when he was healthy, and he was certainly pretty effective.
Back in his last fully healthy season in 2016, Crowder hauled in 67 receptions for 847 yards and seven touchdowns, terrific numbers for a guy who is not a No. 1 wideout.
Heck, even in 2017 when he was dealing with hamstring issues, he still managed to catch 66 passes for 789 yards and three scores.
Now, he will be joining a Jets offense that does not have an identity, as Darnold is still trying to find his footing in the NFL and we don't know what to expect from Bell after he took a year off.
We have to assume that Bell will be the focal point of New York's offense, as he is an elite running back when he is on the field, and he is also a terrific pass-catcher out of the backfield, which could (and probably will) limit Crowder's touches overall.
Still, Crowder remains more proven as a consistent threat than Enunwa, who has only had one good season thus far, so he should still see the ball a fair amount and may end up with 60 catches.
Obviously, Anderson is Gang Green's No. 1 receiver and will see the majority of the attention, and Bell may end up leading the team in receptions. Also, for the first time in what seems like forever, the Jets now have a pretty good tight end in Chris Herndon.
But, given Crowder's impressive track record as a reliable slot receiver, it would not be the least bit surprising to see Darnold lean on him quite a bit.
So, approach Crowder with some concern in fantasy drafts, as injuries have taken their toll on him over the last couple of years and we don't know how the Jets' offense is going to pan out.
However, if you are looking for a No. 3 receiver (or maybe even a very high-end No. 4) you really can't go wrong with Crowder, who is at least a very consistent weapon when healthy.
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