Why Greg Salas Is New York Jets' Most Underrated Player

The New York Jets aren’t flush with perennial talent at wide receiver, but they’re also not completely devoid of playmaking ability. Offseason acquisitions Chris Johnson and Eric Decker stole the limelight during training camp, offering fans the hope that New York was capable of becoming a legitimate scoring threat.

But other players, particularly those who fly under the radar, have arguably been more productive when given the chance to succeed.

The Jets’ horrid 1-6 start to the 2014 season has been discouraging, especially after a surprisingly successful 8-8 finish last year which began with the Jets being ranked 32nd overall in ESPN’s power rankings.

Before the start of this season, one could make the case that the Jets were a much better-rounded team on paper—despite noticeable deficiencies in the secondary—and that they’d compete for a playoff berth. That simply hasn’t happened. The Jets are on the verge of enduring their worst season in terms of wins and losses since 2007 (4-12).

A bounty of injuries has granted opportunities for relatively unknown players to grapple with the chance to succeed. Greg Salas is an example of that. Although he doesn’t flaunt gaudy numbers and eye-popping speed as an outside target, Salas has been one of the Jets’ most efficient receivers in 2014.

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While some might think that sounds crazy, Salas leads all Jets receivers with a 20.9 yards-per-catch average. Six of his eight receptions have gone for first downs, and four of those have resulted in gains of at least 20 yards. Salas has also recorded more yards after the catch (117) than any other Jets receiver.

Despite catching just eight of the 22 passes thrown in his direction, Salas is one of the best big-play threats the Jets flaunt on offense. That might seem laughable to some, considering that the former fourth-round pick has yet to record a touchdown this season, but it also shouldn’t go unwarranted.

The Jets’ offensive struggles have been well-documented during Rex Ryan’s tenure as head coach. New York has had three different offensive coordinators during Ryan’s six-year stint as head coach, none of whom have ever fueled an offense to a scoring average above 23.6 points (2011) per game. This season will—without a doubt—mark the third straight season the Jets fail to record at least 300 points.

	REC/TAR	AVG.	20+	YAC
Eric Decker	24/41 (58.5%)	13.5	5	99
Jeremy Kerley	22/45 (48.9%)	9.1	0	65
Greg Salas	8/22 (36.4%)	20.9	4	117

The Jets’ meager receiving corps often draws more criticism than praise, which is an essential byproduct of the New York media. But it’s worth considering how much worse the Jets’ already anemic offense would be if it weren’t for the occasional big play from Salas, who wasn’t even expected to earn a roster spot at the start of camp last July.

The Jets’ hopes of improving on offense this year have been mere fantasy. They’re averaging a stagnant 17.3 points per game to rank 28th in the league, which equates to a 0.8-point regression from last year.

Consistently poor quarterback play is a big reason for that, although some are quick to point to numerous drops, and receivers being unable to gain separation as primary explanations for Geno Smith’s struggles.

Jets receivers haven’t been perfect in 2014, but they’re also not clear-cut scapegoats for Smith’s outrageously pitiful lack of efficiency. According to SportingCharts.com, Jets receivers have dropped a total of 11 passes on 235 targets this season.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Of the 22 passes thrown toward Salas, only one has been dropped. This means that 13 passes in which he was charted as an official target were either air-mailed or off the mark. That kind of stuff is out of the receiver’s control.

So for the Jets to improve midway through what has already been a dismal season filled with angst, Smith needs to do a better job of getting the ball to his most consistent big-play receiver.

Salas is never going to be a top-tier wideout in the NFL. In reality, he’s not even guaranteed a roster spot with the Jets, let alone anyone else, in 2015. But he’s quietly posted solid numbers when given the opportunity to succeed and has emerged as the Jets’ most underrated player because of it.

All stats provided courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.