Gang could pounce after Bolts give Williams boot
Versatile OG proves he's key to Knicks' defense, chance to move up conference standings
There is a new high-end receiver for the Jets to consider in free agency.
Mike Williams, who was cut Wednesday by the salarycap-strapped Chargers, is one of the few options available who represents a certain upgrade over Allen Lazard as a No. 2 receiver. Lazard was one of last offseason’s free-agent prizes but failed to live up to expectations (23 catches for 311 yards and one touchdown) on his four-year, $44 million contract. Williams, 29, topped 1,000 yards in 2019 and 2021, and has averaged 15.6 yards per catch over seven seasons.
The risk, as is the case with many free agents, is injury concern.
Williams’ fast start last season — 19 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown in three games — was cut short by an ACL tear in his left knee Sept. 24. He also has dealt with varying degrees of ankle, back, hamstring and shoulder injuries throughout his career.
The Jets never appeared to be in the game for top free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley — who reportedly agreed to a four-year, $92 million deal with the Titans. Just two other receivers agreed to significant deals, and both the Jaguars’ Gabe Davis and Falcons’ Darnell Mooney feel like overpays at $13 million per year.
Odell Beckham Jr., who underachieved on a $15 million contract with the Ravens last season, is available again after flirting with the Jets last offseason. Like Beckham, Michael Thomas has been better than Williams at his peak, but both have red flags to out-rival Williams’.
Other productive options include Tyler Boyd, D.J. Chark, Aaron Rodgers’ former Packers teammate Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the released Hunter Renfrow.
➤ Punter Thomas Morstead ,a fan favorite, re-signed. The twoyear deal is worth more than $5 million, per reports.
Morstead averaged 48.8 yards per punt, the second-best mark of his
15-year career, and dropped 36 of his NFL-high 99 attempts inside the 20-yard line last season.
➤ Two years after he left the Buccaneers for the Jets, S Jordan Whitehead is going back in the other direction.
Whitehead, 26, reportedly agreed to return to Tampa Bay on a two-year, $9 million contract that could be worth up to $10.5 million. It’s smaller than the two-year, $14.5 million deal he signed with the Jets in 2022.
The Jets were comfortable letting Whitehead leave after the development of starter Tony Adams last season then re-signing Chuck Clark this week. Clark, who started 63 of 96 career games for the Ravens, was acquired by the Jets last March but missed the entire season with a torn ACL. There are still starting options available on the saturated safety free-agent market. It is possible free agent Ashtyn Davis returns as a backup and special-teamer.
➤ DT Javon Kinlaw’s one-year contract is worth $7.25 million, including $6.91 million guaranteed.
It is a surprisingly high amount given that Kinlaw has five sacks in 41 career games (3.5 in 17 games last season) with the 49ers, but he was a first-round draft pick in 2020 when Jets head coach Robert Saleh was the defensive coordinator.
➤ TE C.J. Uzomah officially was released with a failed physical designation.
When the Knicks faced the 76ers in January, OG Anunoby’s primary defensive assignment was All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey.
After missing 18 games with an elbow injury, Anunoby returned to the lineup Tuesday night and was charged mostly with guarding power forward Tobias Harris.
That defensive versatility certainly was missed by the Knicks during Anunoby’s absence, and they posted a middling 8-10 record while he was sidelined.
It also is why Tom Thibodeau grinned while declining to say whether he considered Anunoby or fellow multi-positional defender Josh Hart the power forward or the small forward during Tuesday’s 106-79 win over the Sixers at the Garden.
“I say that tongue in cheek because that’s the beauty of Josh and OG,” Thibodeau said after the game. “Both can play all three wing positions. They can play 2, 3 and 4, and they’re interchangeable, and sometimes, you can go with the matchup.
“Like, ‘OK, we can take advantage of this this way.’ And I like that, I like that versatility . ... We can do a lot of switching with those guys.”
Tuesday’s victory represented a strong response by the Knicks after they scored just 73 points in Sunday’s loss to the Sixers, the lowest scoring output in the NBA this season.
But they’ve now allowed 74, 79 and 79 points over their past three games, marking the first time they’ve held three straight opponents under 80 since 2000 — when Thibodeau was an assistant coach under Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Brunson’s father, current assistant Rick Brunson, was a guard on the roster.
“The thing is, 20 years ago that really was the style of play. So to be able to do it in today’s game, it’s a credit to the team,” Thibodeau said. “You have to be tied together and you have to be working together and you have to be able to count on each other.
“And I think that’s the way our team is playing, and we’ve had to use that most of the year when you’re down players.”
Starting big men Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) also have been unavailable, of course, and they will be out again when the Knicks open a four-game western swing Thursday night in Portland.
Still, Anunoby’s return was an important step if the Knicks (38-27) are to maintain or improve upon their fourth-place standing in the Eastern Conference over their final 17 regularseason games.
In going 13-2 this season with Anunoby in the lineup, the Knicks have posted a net rating of 16.7 in those games, which represents their point differential per 100 possessions. For the entire season, only the Eastleading Celtics (11.3) have a net rating above 10.0.
Maxey sat out Sunday’s game with a concussion and reigning MVP Joel Embiid missed both with a knee injury, but the Knicks held the Sixers to 79 points in each game on 38.1 percent shooting from the field and 27.0 (17-for-63) from 3-point range.
“You’re not replacing Julius, you’re not replacing Jalen and OG, those guys, but we can do it with our team,” Thibodeau said. “We can do it with our team defense, we can do it with our team rebounding. We can do it by taking care of the ball. That puts you in position to win regardless who you have, who you’re playing, where you’re playing.
“So if we hang on to those three things, some nights we don’t shoot it as well as others, I think that holds true for every team in the league. But you’ll be in position to win if you do those three things.”
Hart, who notched his fourth triple-double of the season, called Anunoby “a juggernaut” defensively and someone who “helps this team go.”
Anunoby returned the compliment to Hart, who has averaged 16.1 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists over 42.8 minutes per game over his last 10 appearances.
“He’s just relentless. He’s just a great player. He impacts both sides of the floor,” said Anunoby, who replaced Precious Achiuwa in the starting lineup. “He makes shots, he passes, he rebounds. He does everything. He’s an amazing player. He takes [defensive] matchups, too.”