It’s unclear exactly where New England Patriots wideout Jakobi Meyers will suit up next season with the NFL’s free agency tampering period beginning next Monday.
The Patriots already elected not to place the franchise tag on Meyers, who has spent the first four years of his NFL career with New England.
Meyers will have the chance to explore a deal now with any other team in the NFL if he decides he doesn’t want to return to the Patriots. And NFL analyst Aaron Schatz believes one NFC team should absolutely give the 6-foot-2, 200-pound receiver a call.
Schatz sees the Falcons, who are in need of offensive playmakers, as a terrific fit for Meyers and thinks Atlanta should purse him once the tampering period window opens.
“If QB Desmond Ridder is going to be the man in Atlanta, he will need people to throw to besides Drake London and Kyle Pitts,” Schatz wrote on ESPN. “Meyers, originally a 2019 undrafted free agent for the Patriots, could be the best wide receiver in this year’s market. He’s 6-foot-2 and an excellent route runner.
“Last season, Meyers put up 10.2% receiving DVOA, 25th out of 85 qualifying wide receivers. That’s pretty remarkable given the total dysfunction of the Patriots’ offense. ESPN Analytics’ new receiving ratings based on game charting put him 28th among wideouts last season and 23rd the year before. Meyers is a natural No. 2 receiver, the perfect shorter-route complement while London and Pitts stretch the field.”
With a rather pedestrian wide receiver free-agent class, there could be plenty of suitors vying for Meyers’ services.
Even in a dysfunctional Patriots offense this past season, Meyers still found a way to be a functional and reliable option for second-year quarterback Mac Jones. He caught 67 passes for 804 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.
Meyers is someone the Patriots sure could use in their offense, but teams, like the Falcons, will hope Meyers decides his time in New England is over.
