Jakobi Meyers Has Demanded a Trade and Every Patriots Fan Alive Knows Just the Place for Him

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Well, well, well. The timing on this news couldn't be much better. No sooner does the most desirable wide receiver on the trade market convince his team to cave to his demands:

Than another emerges to take his place:

As the saying goes, when God closes a perennial Pro Bowl door, he opens another 1,000-yard receiver window. 

I mean, there should be no shortage of interest in Meyers around the league. While it seems like he's been in the league forever, he's still almost three months shy of his 29th birthday. His career that started in 2019 as a UDFA, fighting for a roster spot, then carving out a spot in Tom Brady's last New England wide receiver group, has gotten consistently better in every statistical category with age and experience. Until last year, when he hit career highs in targets, catches and receiving yards. Despite being in the league's 29th offense and having Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell as QBs. 

But those other teams don't have what the Patriots can provide. In the simple possible terms, it's what James Earl Jones said in Field of Dreams. It is money the Patriots have; and a WR2 option coming off a 1,000-yard season they lack. As I pointed out with Terry McLaurin still on the market, the Pats are No. 1 in cap space, and there's a wide $12 million gulf between them and the No. 2 team. 

Moreover, there's motivation on all sides to make this happen. Eliot Wolf has confirmed that high draft picks are on the table if it means improving the team for this season. The Raiders are what in real estate they call "a motivated buyer," since their WR2 wants out. And New England is a fit for him not just because he played here, but because Josh McDaniels developed him into the player he's become.

He signed with McDaniels the moment he hit free agency. And that feeling of admiration was mutual:

Meyers career high in touchdowns was his first year with the Raiders, when he had eight. Even with Davante Adams at the top of his depth chart, McDaniels fed Meyers. In his eight games before McDaniels got fired as his kids where out Trick or Treating, Meyers had double digit targest four times. It only happened once the rest of the season. And only six times all of last year. 

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The McOffense runs through guys with Meyers' skill set. His route running. His ability to read coverages the same way his QB is. To find the right seams in a secondary. His sure hands, which produced 0.0 drops last season and only three career fumbles in over 400 touches. And his ability to produce in even the worst circumstances. Never forget that in 2022, he was 8th in the league with a passer rating when targeted of 199.6. That was the year he had a damaged Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe at QB, and his coordinator was Matt Patricia. 

Imagine what this guy could do with McDaniels again and Drake Maye getting him the ball. Then make it happen. The Summer of Hope is not over yet.