Robbie Chosen

It's odd to see a career year at age 27 followed by a complete collapse at age 28. That's how it went for Anderson, who lost only 19 percent of his targets from 2020 to 2021 but saw a 53 percent decrease in yardage and a 44 percent drop in receptions. His catch rate, 48.2 percent, was remarkably bad for a wideout whose aDOT (10.5) was pretty close to league average. Horrible play from Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker was a big part of that story, but it's not like the QB play for Carolina was good in 2020 when Anderson caught 69.9 percent of his targets with a similar aDOT (9.7). Whatever the case, Anderson gets a chance to rebound this year, albeit with some of the same limitations regarding QB play. His role as a starter doesn't appear in question, at least initially, as Carolina didn't bring in any early draft picks or pricey signings at wide receiver this offseason. It is possible 2021 second-round pick Terrace Marshall could push for a starting job, though he was no better than Anderson last year.

For a free-agent signee in a year without much offseason practice, Anderson delivered about as well as could be expected last season, especially with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback. Oddly, the speedy Anderson wasn’t Carolina’s deep threat — that role belonged to DJ Moore — but Anderson led the team with 95 catches, good for eighth in the NFL. Anderson saw some red-zone work (15 targets), but very little of it was around the goal line — only four targets from inside the 10 and one from inside the five. Without deep throws or goal-line looks, touchdowns are hard to come by. At 6-3, 190, and running a 4.37 40, Anderson still has more than enough skills to be a downfield playmaker, though it remains to be seen what head coach Matt Ruhle and offensive coordinator Joe Brady do in Year 2. Curtis Samuel’s 97 targets have departed for Washington, but Moore will be back, tailback Christian McCaffrey should absorb a good deal of Samuel’s share and the Panthers took wideout Terrace Marshall in the second round. The Panthers also traded for Sam Darnold this offseason, and while he’s far from a sure thing, he’s got more upside than Bridgewater, and he’s already familiar with Anderson from their Jets days.

Anderson's free-agent landing spot isn't ideal. Not only do the Panthers have the first receiver taken in the 2018 draft, rising star D.J. Moore, but speedy 2017 second-round pick, Curtis Samuel, is also around. And don't forget tailback Christian McCaffrey, who was eighth in the NFL with 142 targets last season. Combine that with game manager Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback and it's hard to see Anderson getting a ton of opportunities. That said, sometimes you have to buy skills and trust in the unpredictability of circumstances. At 6-3, 190, with blazing 4.37 40 speed and a 37-inch vertical leap, Anderson has the physical specs to be a star. His per-play production was modest with the Jets due to below-average QB play and coaching, but he rarely dropped a pass (only three in his last 190 targets), and averaged 15.0 yards per catch the last two years. And while Bridgewater has always been loath to take chances, he was in the Vikings' conservative system and briefly in Sean Payton's short-passing attack during his two NFL stops. New coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady could ask Bridgewater to make more downfield throws.

Coming off a 2017 breakout, Anderson started 2018 slowly as rookie quarterback Sam Darnold didn't call his number often, instead preferring to lean on Quincy Enunwa. But over the season's final four weeks, with Enunwa hurt and Darnold having some games under his belt, Anderson became the top target and posted a 39-23-336-3 line over that span. At 6-3, 190, Anderson is tall and lanky and ran a blistering 4.37 40 with a 37-inch vertical leap, giving him a nice edge on smaller corners down the field. He hasn't seen much red-zone use the last two years, but the offense should change a good deal under new coach Adam Gase. In Miami, Gase was known for favoring different receivers (and backs) almost at random - one week it would be Albert Wilson, the next Danny Amendola, maybe Kenny Stills would see 10 targets or DeVante Parker even - so it might be hard to predict target share on a weekly basis for Anderson. Moreover, Enunwa is back, last year's rookie tight end Chris Herndon showed considerable promise, the Jets signed small, quick slot man Jamison Crowder from Washington, and running back Le'Veon Bell (Steelers) will also have a big role in the team's passing game. Anderson will maintain his role as the team's primary deep threat, and his rapport with Darnold down the stretch should help, but there's a good deal of volatility in his target forecast.

Who knew the Jets passing game had so much to offer? Anderson, along with teammate Jermaine Kearse, were both playable fantasy options last year, with Anderson in particular going on a five-game TD-scoring streak Weeks 7-11. By season's end, Anderson finished as the No. 15 scoring wideout in non-PPR on a solid 14.9 YPC and 8.3 YPT. At 6-3, 190, Anderson is tall and lanky, runs a blazing 4.34 40 and sports a 37-inch vertical leap. He didn't see a ton of red-zone work - only 10 of his 114 targets were from that area of the field, and he lacks the bulk to make catches in traffic. In 2018, the 25-year-old should return as the team's No. 1 target and retains the surprisingly effective Josh McCown as his likely signal-caller for now, though No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold should take over at some point. The Jets added Terrelle Pryor as a free agent, and last year's original top receiver, Quincy Enunwa, is expected back from a neck injury, so there should be more competition for targets in New York this year. Anderson's off-field issues have been resolved from a legal perspective, but he may still receive discipline from the league at some point.

An undrafted rookie, Anderson parlayed a big preseason into a roster spot, but it wasn't until Week 13 that he saw double-digit targets, thanks to backup QB Bryce Petty. Anderson had three catches of 40-plus yards and 240 receiving yards over three games before disappearing again when Petty got hurt. At 6-3, 190, Anderson is tall, slight and very fast -- 4.36 40. He's not built to take contact over the middle, and he's not especially quick, but his height, leaping ability and speed make him a deep threat. The Jets rarely threw to him in the red zone, where he drew only five of his 78 targets. Josh McCown is the favorite to start at quarterback for the Jets, but Petty and Christian Hackenberg also are in the mix. With Eric Decker released late in the offseason and Quincy Enunwa likely out for the year with a neck injury, Anderson has a clear path to a starting job, though he could face league discipline stemming from a May arrest. He enters the preseason as the top candidate to serve as the Jets' No. 1 receiver.