The New York Jets tried to bolster their receiving core Wednesday by picking up Lucky Whitehead, a former Dallas Cowboys returner.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, wide receiver Lucky Whitehead has been claimed off the waiver wire by the New York Jets.
Whitehead has been dominating the news for the past few days following a bizarre story. Whitehead was falsely accused of shoplifting and then not appearing in court. However, the receiver wasn’t even present at the scene of the crime. The Cowboys only found out this revelation after hastily cutting him from their roster.
During a press conference Tuesday, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett stood by the decision to cut Lucky Whitehead. He used the phrase “in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys” to describe the move a total of 10 times during the media gathering.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old could have a positive impact on the Jets offense next season. While he has only caught nine passes in his two seasons in the NFL, he has the ability to explode. Additionally, he is very versatile. Last season, he rushed for the Cowboys more than he received. During his two seasons, he has rushed for 189 yards on 20 attempts.
The Jets lacked consistency in their receiving last season. This flaw played a big part in the Jets finishing last in the AFC East with a 5-11 record. During the 2016 regular season, the Jets were 15th in yards receiving per game. Furthermore, they finished 18th in total yards from receptions with 4,077. The front office knows that this needs to change if they want any chance to compete in the coming seasons.
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Whitehead will be an exciting option for Josh McCown to look towards next season. The inexperienced Whitehead won’t be the piece that brings the Jets back to glory, but he is a start.