The New England Patriots' leisurely start to NFL free agency didn't surprise Devin McCourty.
The recently retired safety knows that, with a few notable exceptions, Bill Belichick typically shies away from big, splashy signings at this time of year. But one move the Patriots declined to make Tuesday floored their longtime defensive leader.
During a Wednesday morning appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," McCourty said he was "shocked" New England let wide receiver Jakobi Meyers leave for the Las Vegas Raiders on a team-friendly three-year, $33 million contract.
"What I was surprised by was Jakobi," McCourty said. "Like, I thought what Jakobi signed for for the Raiders was, like, 'Eh.' Like, he was our most productive receiver the last two years, and this year he missed (three) games and still was head and shoulders our most productive guy in an offensive system that loves having a guy that can work short routes inside, intermediate routes, vertically on third down, is the guy usually on third down.
"So when I saw what he signed for, I was kind of like, 'Damn.' Like, I thought that would have been an easy contract to bring him back here, and from talking to him, I think he wanted to be back here."
McCourty also praised Meyers' quiet leadership and compared his work ethic and unselfishness to Julian Edelman's.
"I thought from a leadership standpoint going forward, he's like that guy, if I'm a coach, I'm saying, 'Be like Jakobi," he said. "Undrafted guy, earned it, works his butt off every single day. Everything we said was a weakness for him, he continues to work at, and the things we say are strengths, he just continues to master. Be like him.
"So I think that's a big loss. Not a very vocal guy, but he's a guy that you say, 'Be like him.' Very similar in the mold of Edelman. Be like him. Come down and crack the safety, which I know you don't like doing, but we're going to make you crack 10 times in this game because it's key to winning -- Jakobi did that. So I thought that was a big loss. ... That shocked me."
With only DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Lynn Bowden and Tre Nixon under contract for the upcoming season, additional moves surely are coming at receiver for New England. The Patriots still could replace Meyers with a big-name trade acquisition or high draft pick.
But McCourty looks at their current roster and sees no obvious successor to Meyers, who led the team in receiving yards the last three seasons while serving as its top slot receiver. The 26-year-old finished with 67 receptions in 2022; no other Patriots wideout had more than 35.
"Right now, the receiver market is ridiculous," McCourty said. "Guys are making almost $30 million a year playing wide receiver. So, to me, if you get a guy that is going to be highly productive on your team at $11 (million), you've got to take it, or you've got to know what's next in the slot. And for me, being there last year, I don't know who the slot is (with Meyers gone). I don't know."
