On the second day of free agency, former Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers signed a 3-year, 33 million dollar deal to join former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas. Suddenly, New England has a collection of #2 and #3 options that are either unproven or struggle to stay healthy.
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky went as far as to call New England’s skill group a bottom-five unit. While it’s undeniable the Patriots need at least one proven playmaker to become a formidable unit and dictate terms on offense, the roster boasts plenty of talent for new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to work with.
The Patriots’ reluctance to match Vegas’ modest $11 million per year offer also hints they felt comfortable moving on from Meyers, as his lack of speed or proficiency after the catch didn’t fit his high-volume role.
But free agency is only a few days old, and the Patriots’ roster will look much different between now and the draft. For now, here are some in-house options the Patriots could lean on to replicate and even surpass Jakobi Meyers’ production.
Hunter Henry
Hunter Henry’s production has fallen off since his hot start in 2021, but he’s played in every game of his Patriots career and has plenty of gas in the tank. The former Charger is known for his role as a traditional in-line tight end, but he also spends a lot of snaps as a big slot receiver, detaching and shifting around the formation. His skill set is very similar to Meyers’, as both rely on their size, soft hands, and savvy route running to beat coverage and make difficult catches. Here’s an example from Week 17 last season against the Dolphins.
Henry is at a disadvantage with defensive back Eric Rowe in coverage with outside leverage, but the tight end peaks inside to sell a crosser before breaking back outside and leaving Rowe in the dust. Henry then tracks the ball over his shoulder and makes a tough catch through contact to put New England past midfield on the explosive gain.
Henry’s receiving chops made him a serious threat over the middle and in the Red Zone under Josh McDaniels, but he was inexplicably absent in these areas for most of 2022.
From Rob Gronkowski to Jordan Akins, O’Brien’s ability to maximize tight ends is well documented. With him at the helm, and Henry being one of just two rostered players with 1,000+ receiving yards since 2021, all signs point to a bounce-back season for the offense’s top tight end.
Kendrick Bourne
Speaking of Patriots receivers with 1,000+ yards over the past two seasons, Kendrick Bourne has a chance to seize the top receiver spot with Meyers no longer dominating the target share. Bourne has spent chunks of time behind Nelson Agholor and Tyquan Thornton on the depth chart, but he’s managed to be one of the team’s most productive and electric players, providing YAC ability that’s glaringly absent when he’s not featured.
Bourne looks like a running back with the ball in his hands, showing an uncommon blend of creativity, physicality, and contact balance for a wide receiver. He shown homerun-hitting ability on underneath throws, even ripping off explosive runs on reverses. Take this jet sweep from Week 16 against the Bengals.
Safety Von Bell doesn’t fall for the run fake and edge defender Joseph Ossai recovers enough to catch up to the play. But Bourne runs through both tackle attempts, shows the presence of mind to duck under another defender, and keeps his balance against friendly fire from Tyquan Thornton for a nearly 40-yard gain.
This could make him a perfect fit in O’Brien’s scheme, which uses formations and alignments to give receivers room to make magic. But Bourne is more than a gadget guy, with multiple jaw-dropping downfield receptions on his Patriots resume. He does an excellent job tracking the ball downfield, attacking it in the air, and working the boundary when necessary to make some truly special grabs. Here’s another example from the Week 16 game against Cincinnati.
Mac Jones holds Bell just long enough to create a throwing window, and Bourne comes through by easily clearing a jam attempt and showing phenomenal sideline awareness to make the catch with Bell whizzing by.
Bourne also brings a contagious level ton of energy and confidence that visibly energizes teammates, which will be invaluable with the team’s longest-tenured receiver now in Vegas. If the high-energy playmaker can prove he deserves a more prominent role in 2023, it could take New England’s offense to the next level.
Tyquan Thornton
Tyquan Thornton’s rookie campaign was a rollercoaster of emotion after shining early, being placed on Injured Reserve following the second preseason game, flashing with Zappe, then struggling to execute consistently down the stretch. But inconsistency is expected of rookies, and the Patriots drafted Thornton in the 2nd round to grow into a starting role by Year 2. With Meyers’ departure and last season’s glimpses of Thornton’s role in a Meyers-less offense, it’s more than likely he’ll get that opportunity.
Jakobi’s big plays largely came from downfield throws off of play action, where he used suddenness and deception to beat defenders in off coverage. Thornton’s speed and quick feet could make these the former Baylor Bear’s bread-and-butter. Take this 1v1 matchup on 3rd & 11 from Week 15 in Vegas.
Thornton pumps his arms and uses the threat of a go route to push the corner upfield. He then hits the brakes, throws in an outside lean and head fake for good measure, and extends for the catch to convert.
Meyers was also sneaky good off the line of scrimmage and at the catch point on fades, particularly in 2021 under McDaniels. Thornton struggled to bring in these passes consistently, but the potential is there with his 4.2 speed and shiftiness against press coverage. He also showed significant improvement in contested catch situations as a senior at Baylor after struggling his junior season.
This clip from Week 17 against the Dolphins shows Thornton doing a nice job of beating Rowe’s jam to stack, extending to make the catch, and keeping both feet before going out of bounds on the big completion. If the second-year receiver, who’s already begun putting on muscle and working with Mac Jones this offseason, can take a significant step forward, he could exceed Jakobi Meyers’ role as the team’s primary “Z” receiver off the ball and outside the numbers.
