A day after trading tight end Jonnu Smith away to the Atlanta Falcons, the New England Patriots lost their leading receiver, Jakobi Meyers, to the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s two giant steps back for an offense that was already riddled with problems throughout the 2022 season.
Meyers’ exit basically leaves the Patriots with DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton as their top receivers. Injuries have been a common theme throughout Parker’s career, and Bourne was in the doghouse for far too long to even matter last season. Meanwhile, Thornton might have shown flashes as a rookie, but there wasn’t anything about his debut season that screamed future star.
Bill O’Brien is a tremendously talented offensive coordinator, but the difficulty of coaching that group to the Promised Land in a crowded AFC East division would be like building a fire smack-dab in the middle of a Boston snowstorm.
What hurts the most is the price the Raiders paid to get Meyers, who was initially believed to have a much bigger market for his services. He reportedly ended up agreeing on a three-year, $33 million deal with $21 million guaranteed.
Ouch.
The Patriots could have covered that bill, while also seeking out a big-ticket free agent option at the receiver position. But so far, it has been crickets at a position that hasn’t historically been greatly valued within the Patriots organization.
There has been talk of the Patriots potentially being interested in reuniting with veteran wideout Phillip Dorsett. Look, Dorsett is a good veteran player capable of adding depth, but that’s about all there is to a move like that one. An older Dorsett isn’t turning the tide in the Patriots’ favor in an AFC East division that would make “All-Madden” difficulty on a “Madden” video game feel like child’s play.
With Meyers leaving, the Patriots have essentially gone from simply needing help at receiver to being at levels near desperation.
But that doesn’t mean the sky is falling in Foxborough. There are still free agent and trade options for the Patriots to explore. The team could also rebuild through the draft by using the No. 14 overall pick at the position.
Hope isn’t dead just yet.
