Jets Wire breaks down why Robby Anderson can earn himself an even bigger payday if he builds on his performance against the Raiders.
There’s no disputing that someone is going to pay Robby Anderson the big bucks this offseason. The only question is, how high can his price tag rise?
The fourth-year wideout has a dynamic skill set that any team looking to upgrade at the position would covet. His ability to take the top off a defense with ease is an invaluable trait in a league that trends more toward airing it out and taking shots downfield. Even Anderson’s route running has come along nicely in 2019. It’s not where he’d like it to be, but it’s improved enough to earn him a few extra dollars.
Anderson’s projected market value currently sits at $11.7 million in terms of average annual salary, according to Spotrac. With that projection, he would be in line to earn a four-year deal worth approximately $47 million. That’s a nice raise over the $3.1 million he’s earning with the Jets this season.
A nine-figure deal is a lucrative amount of money, one Anderson was never supposed to sniff entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Temple. He’s done well to make himself a valuable commodity, but believe it or not, there’s still a lot more he can do to up his value.
It starts with building on his Week 12 performance against the Raiders. Anderson caught four passes for 86 yards and a touchdown against Oakland — an impressive, but not extraordinary, stat line. Anderson’s numbers might not jump off the page, but the way he operated throughout the afternoon certainly does.
Anderson’s route running was crisp as the Jets turned to more of an underneath passing attack due to dreary weather. Jamison Crowder is lauded as New York’s most efficient underneath route runner, but Anderson certainly earned his keep with his showing against the Raiders.
There’s also the notably improved ball skills Anderson put on display. Taking the top off a defense is one thing, but being able to track a pass and make plays in traffic is another. Case in point; Anderson hauling in a Sam Darnold dime dropped in between two defenders and somehow holding onto the ball despite some wrestling with an Oakland defender as he went down to the turf.
There’s also Anderson’s ability to adjust on the fly. It might not seem like anything special to the average fan, but Anderson not only had to haul in a pass thrown from an awkward angle on a third-down situation, but recognize the coverage and run the route deep enough to allow Darnold to have a window to throw into.
When NFL front offices evaluate Anderson, they’re going to nitpick his film, as they would anyone else. In the past, there would’ve been a lot to criticize.
Now? Not so much. Anderson is far from a finished product, but considering how young he is and how much growing he still has left to do, he’s an enticing player and arguably the third-best wide receiver option set to hit the open market behind Emmanuel Sanders and Amari Cooper, who is likely to be re-signed by the Cowboys before the beginning of free agency. Frankly, you could make the argument Anderson is the second-best option considering Sanders’ age and recent injury history.
Whether or not the Jets are the ones writing the check, Anderson is going to emerge from the 2020 offseason a very rich man. If he wants to continue to drive his price tag up, all he has to do is ride the momentum from his complete performance against the Raiders for the rest of the season.
