New York Jets News: Stephen Hill, Jeremy Kerley
The New York Jets wide receiver corps looks like a mess throughout workouts this offseason, and it could be a repeat of last year in 2013 for whoever is under center. Neither Mark Sanchez nor Geno Smith will likely have adequate support out of their receivers in 2013, but that could change if Stephen Hill finally breaks out, Kellen Winslow Jr. is signed and stays healthy, Santonio Holmes gets healthy and doesn’t make too many stupid mistakes, and if Jeff Cumberland becomes what the Jets expect him to be. There are a lot of variables at play for each pass-catcher on the Jets, and sometimes it is hard to believe that Jeremy Kerley is the team’s most consistent target and best target right now with Holmes still out.
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Holmes’s recovery from a Lisfranc injury that cost him 12 games last season has been incredibly slow, and there is a chance he ends up getting put on the PUP list; he hasn’t even started running yet. Meanwhile, Stephen Hill hasn’t shown any signs of progression following a poor rookie season, in which he almost never got open. Hill has continued to struggle with drops this offseason, and that’s a big issue for the Jets with Holmes still trying to get back from the Lisfranc injury.
ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini named both Jeremy Kerley and Stephen Hill “duds” for minicamp, and that is very disconcerting since both of them are the Jets top two receivers right now with Holmes out. The Jets shouldn’t be concerned about Kerley since he had a solid 2012 season, and, more importantly for readers of this blog, was excellent against the New England Patriots. I haven’t heard much about Kerley’s performances during minicamp, but the fact that Cimini called him a “dud” is enough to seal it in my mind that all the Jets top receivers struggled.
Hill’s inclusion as one of Cimini’s “duds” comes as absolutely no surprise, and that’s what happens when you have several bad drops and show very little progress between seasons. The Jets need Hill to figure things out fast.