Jakobi Meyers headlines the list of New England Patriots players scheduled to hit free agency on March 15. The wide receiver has been a key contributor to the offense since he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
It will be a big loss for the Patriots if Meyers signs elsewhere this spring. The 26-year-old was one of the few bright spots for the offense during the disappointing 2022 campaign. But to bring Meyers back into the fold, it'll likely cost a pretty penny. That might be a dealbreaker for Bill Belichick and Co. as they could look to bring a bigger name or two into the wide receiver room next season.
Curran: Patriots' early offseason approach should trigger optimism
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Would it be possible to re-sign Meyers and add a star wideout via free agency or trade this offseason? Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran shared their takes on a brand new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast.
Patriots Talk: Patriots’ looming decision on Jakobi Meyers is a bellwether for their off-season | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"To me, if you want to be a great offense, figure out a way to get both," Perry said. That's, to me, the solution. Because I think to have a relatively high floor, you need somebody like Jakobi Meyers. But to bump up your ceiling, to be one of the elite offenses in football, to compete with the Kansas Citys and the Buffalos and maybe even the Jacksonvilles moving forward with Trevor Lawrence -- in this conference, you're probably going to have to be sniffing elite territory offensively. And with the weapons you have now -- Jakobi Meyers included -- it's just really hard to get there. ...
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"They don't have enough in the way of down-the-field threats to change the geometry of opposing defenses, which can make it easier for those defenses to gameplan for you and to scheme against you week to week. So Jakobi Meyers isn't moving the needle as far as that goes. But as far as third down, you need a guy like that. Because if you don't, then you could really be up the creek."
Curran isn't as gung-ho about paying a star wide receiver via trade or free agency.
"I look at the group that's out there and the difficulty of finding not just somebody, but the right guy, and extracting him from another team and getting him in here as being too difficult to perform in 2023," Curran said. "No matter how much money you have, don't make the Nelson Agholor mistake again where you say, 'He's the best guy on the shelf right here, so we've got to take him. We need one of these.'
"Because to me, between Meyers if you re-sign him, Kendrick Bourne if you can find an olive branch to extend to make him happy, DeVante Parker, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith god-willing, and Tyquan Thornton can be that guy who makes you sweat. If you have those, you have aerial weapons who in their totality should make a defensive coordinator say, 'Well if we shave this way, he's going to hit us on this one. If we don't shave that way, this guy's going to get after ya.' So to me, they have the pieces in place."
Also discussed in the episode: What are the Patriots going to do with Meyers? What will the market be for him? What's an ideal offensive roster for the Patriots next season? And should the Patriots build or buy?
Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube.