The New York Jets struck a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, flipping slot corner Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh rounder in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie III and a 2027 sixth rounder.
Metchie, at the time of the deal, was considered a random throw-in.
Head coach Aaron Glenn took exception to that during his Week 12 post-game presser.
“Yeah, no doubt, I mean that is the reason why he is here. We didn’t go and get that player just to be part of a deal or anything like that. We got that player because we felt like he could help us, and obviously, he has been doing that. Man, he has stepped right in and has been vocal as a leader for us like fairly quickly. It has been good, it’s not like he has tried to get in and take over — that is just who he is … Man, that player is going to be a good player for us, and we have to continue to find ways to get him the ball, but I’m glad we have him,” Coach Glenn explained.
Insider Says Jets Have Found a Major Contributor
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY said the Jets found something in Metchie.
“How about John Metchie? A player that was seemingly just thrown into the Michael Carter pick swap as a consolation, yeah, sure, you can have him, we are not using him. Stepping up as a player that you could see being a major part of this receiving rotation moving forward,” Hughes said.
Metchie led the team in catches (six), targets (seven), and had the only Jets touchdown in Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished with 65 receiving yards, which was second on the team.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared that Metchie has hauled in two receiving touchdowns in three career games with the Jets. He only had one receiving touchdown across his 36 career games with the Eagles and Houston Texans, respectively.
GM Darren Mougey Deserves a Lot of Credit for His Savvy Trade Maneuvers
The general consensus on Metchie has been meh.
The former Alabama product entered the league as the No. 44 overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft. He was highly thought of coming out of college, but he dealt with a lot of adversity.
Metchie, 25, missed his entire rookie season due to a battle with Leukemia. The talented pass catcher made a miraculous comeback to the football field, but the results on the field were uneven.
Before joining the Jets, Metchie appeared in 36 games and made three starts. He collected 44 receptions for 430 receiving yards and averaged 9.77 yards per catch.
A change of scenery has done wonders for Metchie. General manager Darren Mougey deserves a ton of praise for his forward thinking. In several of the deals he has struck, Mougey has worked a lottery ticket into the trade: acquiring a young player with cheap team control.
It’s the perfect low-risk versus high-reward type of move. If these players don’t do anything, the Jets can cut them at no cost. However, if these players turn a corner, the Jets just won the lottery by picking up a player at a position of need.
Metchie is looking like an early win for the green and white.
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