Deadline Done: Jakobi Meyers Likely to Remain with Patriots
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The New England Patriots corps of wide receivers will be among the most watched, and potentially most scrutinized areas of the roster heading into the upcoming 2022 NFL season.
It appears that Jakobi Meyers will continue to be a significant part of the Pats’ positional group for the 2022 season.
With the league deadline for signing restricted free agents having passed at 11:59 p.m. ET on April 22, Meyers will now remain on the Patriots roster for the upcoming season.
The Patriots placed a second-round tender on Meyers just prior to the start of the league year on March 16. Though other teams still had the chance to pursue him, New England’s placement of the tender ensured Meyers would not leave Foxboro without compensation. If another club were to sign him to an offer sheet, the Patriots would receive a second-round draft pick — assuming they decided not to match it.
While Meyers’ services would have been highly-coveted on the unrestricted open market, the tender to which he was attached did provide an additional layer of difficulty with signing him. Any team submitting an offer sheet to Meyers needed to be in possession of an available second round pick in 2022; the draft pick being defined as its own or better choice. Therefore, teams without a second round pick would be required to obtain a higher pick than theirs to submit an offer sheet. Teams which fit this description included the Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Yet, Meyers remains a Patriot. As a result, he is slated to receive $3.986 million in pay for this upcoming season, assuming he plays on the one-year tender. In doing so, the 25-year-old will earn double the amount of the three-year, $1.75 million contract he signed as an undrafted rookie in 2019, per Patriots’ salary cap expert, Miguel Benzan.
According to league guidelines, Meyers has until June 15 to sign the tender. Otherwise, the Patriots may lower his 2022 salary to $935,000, which equates to 110 percent of his $850,000 salary in 2021. Benzan also noted that none of Meyers’ $3.986M salary is guaranteed.
The decision to tender Meyers at the second-round level had been expected. The North Carolina State product was arguably the Patriots most reliable pass catcher in 2021, finishing the season with two touchdowns, but leading the team in both receptions (89) and yards (906), including the playoffs.
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
(Photo cred: Boston Globe, Matthew J Lee/Globe staff)
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Meyers expressed his desire to “definitely” stay with the Patriots and continue working with quarterback Mac Jones. In fact, Meyers was among a quintet of Patriots pass catchers who joined Jones in Tampa, Florida for informal throwing sessions. Per reports, he has placed a sharp focus on his strength and conditioning, adding additional muscle bulk and raising his weight to 225 pounds. Meyers has also reported for voluntary offseason workouts, which began on April 18 at Gillette Stadium. As a result, the two sides should be expected to work on a long-term deal, if (and when) Meyers signs the tender.
In the aftermath of this month’s trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire DeVante Parker, New England is currently nine players deep at the position. Parker, as well as fellow offseason acquisition Ty Montgomery, joins incumbents Meyers, Nelson Agholor, N’Keal Harry, Kendrick Bourne, Kristian Wilkerson, Malcolm Perry and Tre Nixon on the depth chart. While Matthew Slater is logistially listed as a receiver, his contributions are almost exclusively tied to special teams.
