Chaz Schilens: Stay or Go?

When the Jets signed him, Chaz Schilens reminded me a lot of Matthew Hatchette. The Jets had signed Hatchette from Minnesota prior to the 2001 season. He was 6'3" and ran the 40 yard dash in 4.35 seconds. They were hoping that size/speed combination would help him turn into a good receiver. He ended up making no impact with the team in his one season.

Schilens seems to similarly be one and done. There are times where a talented player cannot get off the bench with one club but produces when another team gives him a chance to show what he can do. The Jets were banking on that with Schilens. It did not pan out. He showed his inability to produce a 100 yard game in four years in Oakland was indicative of his ability as a receiver. There is more to the position than being big and fast. Schilens showed that. After expressing outrage that Antonio Cromartie declared himself a superior receiver in training camp, Chaz averaged less the 2 catches and less than 20 yards per game. He never had more than 4 catches or 47 yards. He only had 2 touchdowns, meaning his size was not much of an asset in the red zone. His most notable play was whiffing when he could have come up with a potentially game-changing surprise onside kick against the Texans.

Schilens was on a cheap one year contract. He will probably get another cheap deal if he remains in the league. Should that happen, it should be for a team other than the Jets. Schilens is 27 years old and has been in the NFL 5 years. There is not much upside left. If he has not emerged by now, it is probably never going to happen. On this team, he had nobody who was taking away opportunities. The chance was there for a talented receiver to show what he can do. Chaz showed he could not. His roster spot would be better used on a younger player with more upside.