The New England Patriots look to have a strong receiving corps, but will they work out this season?
ESPN’s Mike Reiss discussed which new Patriots wide receivers could work out or fail in a piece published Thursday morning.
Jakobi Meyers is the new No. 1 wideout for the Pats, according to Reiss, and held the title last season as well. He returned to New England for $3.96 million last year and recorded 83 receptions.
Reiss also brought up DeVante Parker, who was traded to the Patriots in April. In 2021 with the Miami Dolphins, the 6-foot-3, 219-pound Parker appeared in 10 games (eight starts). He recorded 40 receptions for 515 yards as well as two touchdowns.
Besides Parker, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne also were among the list of contenders. They both are in their second seasons with the Patriots. Agholor played in 15 games last season, and his 37 receptions were good for 473 yards. Bourne took part in 17 games for the Patriots last year, receiving the ball 55 times for a total of 800 yards.
Reiss mentioned some reasons to believe the changes will work as well as what could go wrong. The additions are more options for second-year quarterback Mac Jones, who Reiss noted had an offseason goal of “building better chemistry with every player on offense, especially the wide receivers.”
One thing that could cause problems is that the Patriots are in a transition period for their offensive coaching staff following the departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to become the Las Vegas Raiders head coach. As of now, it’s unclear who will be doing the play-calling among Bill Belichick, Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. Reiss added that even though the Pats look deeper at wideout, “they need to ensure they have the right plan of attack.”
