The Patriots entered free agency with a glaring hole at wide receiver.
They tried to address it by recruiting former All-Pro Calvin Ridley, but wouldn’t match the four-year, $92 million deal the 29-year-old signed with the Titans.
Most expected New England to pursue the type of outside receiver their roster lacks, like Mike Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones, or D.J. Chark. But the team went in another direction, signing primary Z/slot receiver and former Viking K.J. Osborn to a one-year deal.
Osborn is joining a rebuilding franchise that won just four games and scored the fewest points in the NFL last season, but he’s ready to embrace the challenge.
“I know what I signed up for,” said Osborn. “I know it’s going to be a grind. I want to be someone who helps this organization get back to where it needs to be.”
Osborn was typically lower in the pecking order for the Vikings, buried behind stars like Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, T.J. Hockenson, Dalvin Cook, and, more recently, Jordan Addison. But with New England’s receiver position uncertain beyond Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas, the 26-year-old has a chance to carve out a bigger role for himself.
“I’m excited to show the type of player I am,” Osborn said. “I’ve played with some great players and I’m excited to get some more opportunities and help this team win.”
The receiver spent most of his time inside the numbers with the Vikings, who feature a heavy dose of condensed formations where players are afforded two-way releases.
Most of K.J. Osborn's production last season came on crossers and digs. These were typically vs zone, but he did a nice job leaning into defenders and snapping off routes to separate vs man
Best play was a post where he put the CB in a blender and went up for a contested grab pic.twitter.com/4Eo2B0Uv7P
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) March 17, 2024
When asked which alignment he prefers, Osborn acknowledged he feels most comfortable on the inside but said he can line up anywhere.
“I feel like I am a versatile player. Definitely can play inside and outside. I would say, for most of my career, I’ve played inside. So that’s probably where I’m a little bit more comfortable, just by nature of having a lot more reps there. But I try to pride myself on being a versatile player.”
The Patriots reunited with Jacoby Brissett on the first day of legal tampering, but their quarterback situation will remain a mystery until next month’s draft. This reportedly made them an unfavorable destination for some veteran receivers. While Osborn admitted those question marks factored into his decision, he told reporters he’s putting his faith in leadership.
“I spoke to Coach Mayo and [Alex Van Pelt] and things like that for the plan going forward. But, I trust them that everything will take care of itself.”
Like fellow free agent signing Antonio Gibson, Osborn seems to appreciate Jerod Mayo’s generally personable demeanor and success as a player, calling his new head coach a “real down to Earth guy.”
“He was real cool, easy to talk to,” Osborn said of Mayo. “I mean, he’s a player’s coach, and I love that. And that’s something that I’m familiar with coming from [Kevin O’Connell] over in Minnesota, where he understands, he’s been in our shoes, he got Super Bowl, he’s been in the league. So, he knows what it’s like from our side and stepping over to the coach’s side…Being a top guy, he knows how it’s supposed to be done, and he knows what works. So, that’s what I’m excited for.”
Osborn, who helped save a man from a burning car last March, was renowned in Minnesota for his character and mentorship. Osborn told reporters the Patriots “are a first-class organization, and they’re getting a first-class person.”
“Football or not, I think that’s who I am as a person,” Osborn explained. “I try to carry myself first-class. I’m a man of faith, and I try to make everyone better around me, whether that’s on or off the field. So just being myself, whether that’s my role or not, that’s what the Patriots are going to get. That’s who I am. So [I’m] always trying to elevate those around me. I want the best out of myself, so I expect my teammates to push me in that way and I push them in that way. That’s how you win games and you build a good locker room.”
