NFL Free Agency Primer: Jakobi Meyers

The regular season has come to a close, and most teams have already begun the complicated process of preparing for the 2023 season. In the coming months, we'll be covering the impending free agents most capable of shifting the balance of power in the NFL.

The Player: Jakobi Meyers

New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers doesn't have the physical tools of a wide receiver likely to become a hot commodity in free agency, but he certainly has the production. Myers has been the go-to guy in the Patriots' passing attack for three straight years, leading the team in receiving yards in each of the past three seasons. He's been a reliable if unexplosive pass catcher, producing consistently but never flirting with breakout stardom: he has accumulated between 700 and 900 receiving yards in every season since 2020.

The Fit:

Meyers makes sense on a team that needs a complementary wide receiver who can move the chains and make contested catches. He lacks the game-breaking athletic traits of a WR1, but he can help any team whose passing attack needs more consistency. He could be a security blanket and safety valve for a young passer. His savviness and slipperiness would make him a good addition to the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, or Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Cost:

The Patriots have never hesitated to let a free agent walk, particularly at wide receiver. If they loved Meyers, they likely would have extended him already at a team-friendly number. As a former undrafted free agent who appears to have plateaued at serviceable, he'll probably have to settle for low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 money. A three-year, $30 million deal like the ones recently signed by Russell Gage and Tim Patrick would probably be a fair starting point.

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