2019 Jets Free Agency Profile: Adam Humphries

Welcome to the 2019 Jets Free Agency Profile series! Up until the start of the 2019 free agency period in March, I’ll be running through a bunch of names the Jets could potentially bring in with their hoard of cap space. Let’s get into it!

Name: Adam Humphries

Birthday/Age: January 24th, 1993 (age 26 on September 1st)

Height/Weight: 5’11, 195

FA type: Unrestricted

College: Clemson (signed by Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2015)

Team(s): Buccaneers (2015-18)

Position/usage: Slot receiver

2018 stats: 16 games, 76 catches, 105 targets, 816 yards, 5 touchdowns. 72.4% catch rate, 10.7 yards per reception, 7.77 yards per target (48th / 83 wide receivers with 50+ targets)

Previous salary: Retained by Tampa Bay on a second-round tender. $2.9M cap hit in 2018

Spotrac Market Value: $10.4M/year

Jets connections: Clemson teammate of Jordan Leggett and Charone Peake

Measurables (Pro Day): 4.53 forty, 10’02” broad jump, 6.96 three-cone, 4.32 twenty yard shuttle, 32.5” vertical

Pros:

• Will only be 26 at the start of 2019
• Respectable production totals. 18th among wide receivers in both receptions (76) and receiving first downs (49) in 2018
• Solid after the catch receiver, a trait Adam Gase values in his WRs as I mentioned previously with Golden Tate. Ranked second among WRs in YAC per reception in 2016 and was top-25 in 2018. Consistently used in the screen game.

Great display of Humphries’ YAC ability here, in addition to a flash of versatility to produce as an outside receiver. Lined up outside left, he does a nice job disengaging the jam of the pressing corner to get into his break towards the middle, as he’s freed up by the slot receiver’s pick. After that, just an impressive display of ability with the football in his hands, mixing speed, vision, and power to just barely get the ball over the line for the score.

• Proven slot receiver, which the Jets could use. Not just a middle of the field weapon, actually seems to favor out-breaking routes, a good match to the preference for that area Sam Darnold seemed to show as a rookie. Here, after already making multiple catches towards the sideline earlier in the game, Humphries is able to get the slot corner to bite outside and pivots inside for the easy toast and touchdown, taking advantage of the tendencies he built earlier in the game.

• Having a bona fide slot receiver should allow for more snaps lined up outside for Quincy Enunwa, which is where he was most effective in 2016
• 32 of 32 games played over the past two seasons and 47 of 48 over the past three
• The Jets will presumably look to bring back Pro Bowler Andre Roberts to return punts, but Humphries can return in a pinch. 51 career punt returns for an average of 8.3 yards per return
• Extremely efficient target. Posted a 47.1% first down rate and a 107.7 passer rating when targeted. Improved on his already efficient numbers of 42.4% and 99.0 in 2017
• Consistent - picked up at least one first down in every game played, at least two first downs in twelve games, and at least three first downs in nine games (for comparison, the Jets leader in receiving first downs, Robby Anderson, picked up at least one in twelve games, 2+ in six games, and 3+ in four games)

Cons:

• Currently sports one of the highest market values at the wide receiver position, via Spotrac ($10.4M annually). For comparison, prior to the 2018 season Tyler Lockett received a 3 year, $31M contract extension from the Seahawks after averaging about 37 yards per game over his previous two seasons. Viable starters on the free agent market are not going to be cheap
• Had the benefit of playing in a Tampa Bay offense that produced a boon of passing numbers. The Buccaneers threw the second most passing attempts in the league from 2017-18, and also ranked third over that span in plays run while trailing.
• Humphries also got to play with some very good pass-catching talent attracting most of the defense’s attention, highlighted by Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Chris Godwin, Cameron Brate, and O.J. Howard
• Career-high 5 touchdowns in 2018, but has only 9 career touchdowns in 60 games (pace for 2.4 per 16 games)
• Would it be smart for the Jets to invest big money in an underneath slot receiver who hasn’t posted more than 816 yards in a season yet?