Undrafted rookie free agent Lawrence Cager has a chance to make the New York Jets roster
Training camp is almost here (theoretically) for the New York Jets and virtually nothing is known or definite about how this will play out. Without a true offseason involving minicamp, rookie minicamp, Organized Team Activites (OTAs) and workouts, it is impossible to gauge just how the Jets will look or do.
That won’t stop us, though, however, from trying to see how things will shake out.
COVID-19 has certainly hampered the evaluation of talent for the rebuilding Jets but in a solid group of undrafted rookie free agents, there is potential to add depth and quality at positions of need.
Lawrence Cager has the potential to be an unknown who makes the Jets roster. Not just the practice squad, but make the team.
Background: An undrafted free agent rookie wide receiver, Cager has the chance to not just make the Jets but also see some snaps this year.
In eight games for Georgia last year, he had 33 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns. Last year was Cager’s first season at Georgia after transferring from Miami where he spent the previous three seasons. The quarterback carousel and just overall institutional instability at Miami hampered his development.
His season started off slow at Georgia but was beginning to heat up before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
In Georgia’s sixth game of the season, Cager had seven catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in a win over Florida. The next week, he added six catches for 93 yards in Georgia’s win at home over Missouri.
Those two games before his injury the following week point towards a player with the potential to make an impact at the NFL.
Why he has a chance to make the roster: Upside.
Those final two full games to close out his college career point towards a player who was evolving and growing in the very tough SEC.
He has good size at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds and he uses it well. He isn’t necessarily fast but is a bit quick. Doesn’t possess home run speed but if he can round out his route tree a bit more and polish his footwork, he can fit into the Jets two-deep.
There is also the opportunity for Cager to see some playing time this year. After the trio of Jamison Crwoder (last year’s leading wide receiver), Breshad Perriman (productive last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Denzel Mims (second round pick and a likely starter), the Jets don’t have a ton of depth at wide receiver.
Josh Doctson has promise and Braxton Berrios showed some flashes. The steady Vycint Smith figures to contribute more in 2019 and Quincy Enunwa has been productive but has struggled with injuries recently. Cager comes into camp with a wide open receiver room after the top three players.
All of this means that Cager has to beat one if not two of the wide receivers currently on the Jets two-deep. It isn’t impossible and given his size and production as a senior at Georgia, it certainly is plausible.
Had he not been injured, Cager could have been a late Day 3 pick. The Jets could have benefitted from his injury which not only cut short his senior season but also kept him from the NFL Combine and his Pro Day.
