Jakobi Meyers is reportedly “doubtful” to take a pay cut to stay with the New England Patriots, but he wouldn’t have to if his new contract falls within range for the Patriots to be competitive.
The latest update regarding the pending free agent indicates that could be the case.
There was belief that Meyers would potentially draw a massive deal from another team considering he’s arguably the best available receiver on the 2023 free agent market. But a recent report from NFL Network’s Mike Giardi has deemed otherwise.
Per league sources, Jakobi Meyers free agency will be interesting. No one views him on high scale (15 mil plus), but 12 to 14 mil is “definitely in play.” Belief is #Patriots will let him see what’s out there, but hope he comes back to them for final conversation.
If the bidding price for Meyers’ services hovers between $12 or $13 million, one has to think the Patriots would consider signing him to a new deal.
The best possible scenario for the team is re-signing Meyers and finding a legitimate No. 1 receiver to pair with him in the offense. It’s pretty remarkable to see how productive the veteran wideout still managed to be in 2022, despite all of the issues with Matt Patricia as the offensive play-caller.
He led the team with 67 receptions for 804 yards and six touchdowns.
But through that effort, he’s earned the right to take the best available contract on the table. The former undrafted rookie out of NC State worked himself into a rare power position, and he needs to take advantage of it. With that said, the Patriots should also be competitive at receiver, which is a position they’ve typically undervalued in the past.
They’ve made the necessary changes to the offensive staff with Bill O’Brien as the new offensive coordinator and Adrian Klemm coaching the line. But none of it will matter if the team fails to land the impact players that can make a real difference.
