Jakobi Meyers, who has been the Patriots leading receiver each of the last three seasons, is reportedly leaving for the Las Vegas Raiders. Adrian Kraus/Associated Press
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Las Vegas Raiders are signing New England wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to a $33 million, three-year deal with $21 million in guaranteed money, according to multiple reports.
A free agent for the first time in his career, Meyers reunites with Raiders Coach Josh McDaniels, who was previously New England’s offensive coordinator. He joins wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow to give new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo another formidable option.
After his new deal with the Raiders was reported Tuesday, Meyers spoke to NFL reporter Josina Anderson and explained his decision to leave New England, where there was mutual interest in his return.
“It’s hard to turn down Las Vegas when you look at their offense, when you look at their coaches. They wanted me, I wanted them,” Meyers said. “Unfortunately it didn’t work out with the Patriots. I put a lot of effort in my time there. I appreciate them, but God works in mysterious ways. I’m blessed.”
Meyers has been the Pats’ leading receiver for three years running. He caught 67 passes for 804 yards and six touchdowns last year despite missing three games due to injury. The Patriots’ leftover receivers are DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton, plus practice-squad players Tre Nixon and Lynn Bowden Jr. Thornton is the only player of the group under contract past next season.
Meyers made the Patriots’ roster as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of North Carolina State and quickly found a home, displaying an acumen for catching the ball in traffic primarily out of the slot. Meyers spent his first four seasons with New England. He has averaged 70 catches and 800 yards receiving over the past three seasons.
Despite acknowledging in January after the Patriots’ season ended that he’d been playing hurt all season, Meyers still led all receivers with 67 receptions and had a team-high six receiving touchdowns.
Meyers was involved in one of the worst gaffes in NFL history when he attempted an unnecessary lateral across the field to quarterback Mac Jones on the final play of a tie game that was headed to overtime last season. Chandler Jones snatched the ball in the air and raced for a touchdown to give the Raiders a win over the Patriots.
FREE AGENT offensive tackle Calvin Anderson is leaving the Broncos after agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with the Patriots. Anderson projects as a swing tackle in New England, where Trent Brown is the only proven starter on the roster.
Anderson, who turns 27 this month, has 11 career starts at left tackle and one at right tackle. Last season, he started seven of his 14 appearances at left tackle and allowed just two sacks in 289 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
THE PATRIOTS COULD be bringing back all their cornerback depth from a season ago.
According to a source, the Patriots are tendering restricted free agent Myles Bryant at the right-of-first-refusal level. That means if Bryant plays on this tender, he’ll earn $2.6 million next season and then become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
After making the Patriots 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent, Bryant entered this offseason as one of the Patriots two restricted free agents, along with Yodny Cajuste.
Teams have multiple options with these kinds of free agents. They can place a first-round tender, second-round tender or right-of-first refusal tender on the player. The first or second-round tenders give the players more money and if another team wants to sign them, that team would forfeit its first- or second-round pick to the other team.
With Bryant’s tender, the Patriots have the option to match any offer sheet he receives from another team. The Patriots could also opt to not match the contract, allowing Bryant to leave. Of course, it’s also possible that Bryant either plays on this $2.6 million salary or signs an extension with the Patriots.
Bryant, 25, came to the Patriots in 2020 as an undrafted free agent out of Washington. Last season, he developed into the Patriots top slot cornerback. Bryant played in all 17 games, finishing with a career-high 70 tackles to with six passes defended and an interceptions.
After re-signing Jonathan Jones on Monday, it appears as though the Patriots will retain their entire cornerback depth chart from last season.
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