Despite the fact that the season has just begun, the New York Jets have looked at options on other teams’ practice squads as well as free agency. They also have guys on their reserve roster who may be of interest to other NFL teams.
Among these is Jason Brownlee.
The fan favorite was an unexpected elimination in August. He has had little opportunity to prove his worth on the Jets’ roster, appearing in only seven games and receiving five passes on eight targets in his first year in the NFL in 2023.
However, Brownlee has performed well in workouts and preseason games, raising the prospect of him making an impact for New York or another team in the future.
With numerous teams underperforming across the league in Week 1, wide receivers’ services may be required more than ever.
One specific team, the Cincinnati Bengals, may need to make that decision right now.
The Bengals’ offense is one of the best in football when it gets rolling, but their receiver depth is dubious. They have two superstars, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Joe Burrow has few other choices.
That was on full show in their loss to a below-average New England Patriots club, which scored only 10 points. They also had only 154 passing yards.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department believes they have found the solution and urges them to sign Brownlee.
“The Bengals receiver room was a little iffy entering Week 1. Ja’Marr Chase’s status was unclear, and Tee Higgins was an unexpected addition to the injury report with a hamstring ailment. It emphasized how close this team is to having Andrei Iosivas as the team’s primary aim. It may not be a terrible idea for the Bengals to look through other teams’ practice squads to see if there is a receiver worth signing. Jason Brownlee has performed well in preseason games for the Jets… Signing him to the active roster before the Jets can elevate him could be a smart move.
As BR mentioned, the Jets might place him on the active roster. If they do, Cincinnati may still be able to land him, but the process will be more difficult.
Don’t be surprised if Brownlee ends up on a new team.
New York might do him a favor and trade him to assist the child find a home as well.
Moving him to the AFC would have certain drawbacks, but he hasn’t proven to be good enough to go to a team in the same league and make a significant difference.
