The New York Jets have only two wide receivers with more than 42 career receptions -- Quincy Enunwa and Eric Decker, who is coming off two surgeries. Quinton Patton would've made it three, but he was placed on injured reserve Monday.
It's a young, unproven receiving corps, and it needs Robby Anderson to take a step forward in his second season -- maybe two steps.
Can he do it? Brandon Marshall, who considers himself a big brother to Anderson, loves his former teammate's potential. But he also believes Anderson must learn to give consistent effort, suggesting that wasn't always the case when they worked out together earlier in the offseason.
"Robby needs to turn it around," Marshall told reporters over the weekend at his youth football camp in New Jersey. "I say that out of love. He's my younger brother."
He wasn't referring to Anderson's recent brush with the law. On May 8, he was arrested at a music festival in Miami and charged with resisting a police officer with violence -- a felony. An arraignment hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, just about the time the Jets will be taking the field for their eighth OTA practice.
No, Marshall was talking about Anderson's willingness to embrace what he taught him.
"Now it's, what do you do with that information?" Marshall said. "In February and March, and we were in Florida and we were working, I don't know what he was doing with that information. Now he's more receptive and he's taking it and running with it. If he can consistently do that, I think he'll be able to build off what he started last year."
Anderson started a nice foundation last season.
After making the team as an undrafted rookie out of Temple, he assumed a starter's role when Decker suffered hip and rotator-cuff injuries early in the year. Anderson finished with 42 catches for 587 yards and two touchdowns. But that didn't stop the Jets from drafting ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.
Nothing will be handed to Anderson, who must show he can be a precise route runner in John Morton's West Coast-style offense. His route running last season could best be described as raw.
"Robby can be a phenomenal receiver, Robby can be a No. 1 receiver," said Marshall, who plays for the New York Giants. "Robby is explosive, but he needs to be a pro consistently."
Some tough love from "big bro."