Getty New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers dives for a touchdown.
If there was one area on offense the Dallas Cowboys clearly need reinforcements, it’s at wide receiver and one New England Patriots star could be the ideal addition.
The Cowboys had to bring in a 33-year-old T.Y. Hilton for late-season reinforcements in 2022. The NFC East franchise struggled to make things work with the current group led by star WR CeeDee Lamb, as the other pass-catchers around Lamb just didn’t provide enough of an impact.
But Bleacher Report‘s Kristopher Knox believes Dallas can find their perfect No. 2 receiver in Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers. In a February 7 piece, Knox called Dallas a “great landing spot” for the soon-to-be free agent.
“The Dallas Cowboys could also be a great landing spot for Meyers as they continue searching for a receiver to partner with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup,” Knox writes. “Dallas added T.Y. Hilton during the season but could lose him, wideout Noah Brown and tight end Dalton Schultz in free agency.”
Meyers has consistently produced for the Patriots over the past three seasons and has done so with a young quarterback in Mac Jones. With Lamb and other weapons sharing the attention, there’s reason to think Meyers could reach new heights with Dallas.
Meyers a Consistent Threat for Patriots
New England hasn’t exactly set the NFL alight with its offensive firepower over the past three seasons, but that doesn’t appear to be because of Meyers. The former North Carolina State pass-catcher has become a bright spot for the Patriots, despite the team’s offensive struggles.
PFR shows that Meyers has totaled 700 or more receiving yards in each of the last three seasons, with 2022 arguably being his best year. Meyers averaged 12.0 yards per catch, amassing 804 yards and six touchdowns.
An upgraded offense and quarterback should translate to more volume, but Knox points out the “uncertainty” in Dallas due to a shakeup at offensive coordinator.
“Meyers would be a fabulous No. 2 target for the Cowboys, who reached the divisional round in 2022. Though there’s some uncertainty in Dallas with Brian Schottenheimer replacing offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Meyers and Lamb would both have 1,000-yard potential,” Knox explains.
Head coach Mike McCarthy is set to call plays in 2023, so it’s likely he’ll have an even bigger say in how and who the Cowboys recruit. Scottenheimer will matter, but McCarthy is the key.
Potential Cowboys Contract
Meyers was an undrafted free agent, which meant he had to sign a cheap, three-year deal upon first entering the league with New England. Spotrac shows that the Patriots’ follow-up deal was a one-year, $3.99 million deal but Meyers will likely be looking for more than that after another good season.
In fact, Spotrac projects his market value to be around $12.5 million a year. According to their metrics, a four-year, $50 million contract would make sense for the 26-year-old, and that’s a sizable deal for a team with the Cowboys’ current cap situation.
Dallas will need to restructure and rework their payroll no matter what, but accounting for a new $12.5 million deal could be too much. It would be especially difficult considering that the Cowboys have picks in the first and second rounds of the 2023 NFL draft and that they could invest in a rookie with upside and on a relatively affordable deal.
There’s a lot to like about Meyers, but paying upwards of $10 million for a player who has never eclipsed the 1000-yard mark feels like a major gamble.