Jets sign former Broncos WR Eric Decker to five-year, $36.25 million deal

Eric Decker, a dependable target in Denver for two seasons, goes east to join the Jets. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) The New York Jets have had issues with

Doug Farrar | Mar 12, 2014

Jets sign former Broncos WR Eric Decker to five-year, $36.25 million deal /

Eric Decker, a dependable target in Denver for two seasons, goes east to join the Jets. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The New York Jets have had issues with their passing offense and receiver corps for years, but on Wednesday evening, they took a decisive step in the right direction by agreeing to terms on a new deal with former Denver Broncos receiver Eric Decker. Eric Allen of NewYorkJets.com was the first to report the news officially, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the deal is for five years and $36.25 million, with $15 million guaranteed.

Decker had been at the Jets' Florham Park facility through most of Wednesday, spending quality time (including dinner) with team executives and head coach Rex Ryan. Decker had made the trip from Denver to New York City on Tuesday, and the buzz was that he wouldn't leave without a deal.

Selected in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Minnesota, Decker started off slow in his NFL career, catching 50 passes for 718 yards and nine touchdowns in his first two seasons. But when the Broncos agreed to terms with Peyton Manning before the 2012 season, Decker's fortunes improves along with the rest of Denver's offense. He caught 85 passes for 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012, and added 87 receptions for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2013.

Though Demaryius Thomas established himself as Denver's number-one receiver in that time, Decker was among the most productive targets in the NFL, ranking fourth in Football Outsiders' opponent-adjusted metrics in 2012, and fourth again in 2013.

The soon-to-be first-time father was excited about the free agency process, as he told the Denver Post on Mar. 3.

"I have a lot going on, no question about it," Decker said. "I'm anxious about what lies ahead for me. We don't have a baby room set up. That's No. 1. And then professionally ... I'm excited and blessed to have this opportunity in free agency, and having a baby.

"I guess right now I can't wait to get the process started, and then to get it over with so I can get settled and get ready for the next chapter in my life."

Grade: B.

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Published Mar 12, 2014

DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009, Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine. He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.