Possible Landing Spots for Jaelen Strong After Release

Jaelen Strong is a really curious case. By all rights the former Arizona State star should’ve been a hit with the Houston Texans.

He was a big wide receiver with intriguing athletic traits and a tendency to make the big plays. Yet he rarely saw the field during most of his time there. Part of it was due to injury in 2016 but also an inability to convince the coaching staff he could play. He ended up only starting three games for them across three seasons before the team finally cut ties after two weeks this season.

Does this mean Strong can’t play? Not necessarily. There are several cases throughout NFL history of a player just not clicking with a quarterback, coach, or scheme. Sometimes it’s all three. Bill O’Brien is notorious for being finicky about his roster. Just look at what he’s done with the quarterbacks for an idea. It’s not surprising he’d have zero patience for somebody like Strong who clearly needed some work.

It was even said in his scouting reports.

"“He’s not going to run fast, but it won’t matter because any team who drafts him is going to have a plan for him. When he has a quarterback who can throw him open, his speed won’t matter much. I love him.”"

Clearly the Texans didn’t have a plan for him and they obviously didn’t have a quarterback who knew how to throw receivers open. It’s not an accident DeAndre Hopkins is their only true productive receiver. He’s a superstar and gets open constantly. Most receivers can’t do that. They need good scheming and an accurate QB for that. With that in mind, are there any teams who might take a chance to see if Strong can rebound?

Cleveland Browns

Corey Coleman just got the news that he’s broken his hand again. Not only that but it appears free agent Kenny Britt is also underachieving. So the Browns’ options at wide receiver aren’t exactly numerous. Their decision to part ways with Terrelle Pryor seems like more and more of a mistake with each passing week. Being first in the waiver wire order, this would be the sort of move that makes sense for them as they continue seeking targets for DeShone Kizer.

Chicago Bears

The Browns are hurt at wide receiver but the Bears are devastated. They’d already lost Alshon Jeffery to free agency. Then things got way worse when Cameron Meredith, Markus Wheaton and Kevin White went down as well. They have no proven weapons on the outside at all. There’s a possibility three former undrafted free agents could start for them on Sunday against Pittsburgh. What else needs to be said? Strong is a young, talented player. Give him a shot.

Arizona Cardinals

It would be so fitting for Strong to return home to Arizona where he made his mark. The Cardinals are hurting badly for wide receiver help as injuries and age take their toll. The big hurdle there is Bruce Arians. Though he’s a top head coach with a great offensive mind, he’s also known for having little patience for players. Similar to O’Brien. That might not be the type of guy who can get the most out of Strong. Could the home state factor overcome that?