Raiders Urged to Sign Patriots Leading WR Who Could Earn $15 Million a Year

The best thing the Las Vegas Raiders were supposed to have going for them last season was offensive weapons. Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller are all Pro Bowl pass catchers. However, injuries to Waller and Renfrow kept the offense from ever reaching its potential.

Mack Hollins emerged as a solid No. 3 wide receiver but he’ll be a free agent this offseason. If he signs elsewhere, the Raiders will need to add another compliment to Adams. ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez believes that Las Vegas could take a look at New England Patriots free agent wide receiver Jakobi Meyers:

What, what? Another receiver for a team that already has All-Pro Davante Adams, slot man Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller? Indeed, because, apologies to Mack Hollins, who is also a free agent, but Las Vegas is in need of a true No. 2 wideout, and Meyers has experience in McDaniels’ scheme. Meyers, who is our No. 13-ranked free agent, is a big target at 6-2 and is known for his “nuanced” route running between the numbers. That’s where he caught 47 of the 67 receptions thrown to him with the Patriots last season, converting those into 804 yards and a career-high six touchdown receptions.

Meyers Expected to Land Big Payday

From a pure football-playing standpoint, Meyers makes a lot of sense on the Raiders. He knows the system and would be a perfect culture fit. However, he’s not going to come cheap. NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry expects the former undrafted free agent to get quite the payday this offseason.

“Multiple receiver-needy clubs I’ve spoken to estimated that the Meyers market could end up in the $12 million-per-year range and top out at about $15 million per season,” Perry wrote.

The Raiders aren’t a “receiver-needy” team so it won’t be difficult to outbid them. Las Vegas has far bigger needs that they should use that money on. If Meyers wasn’t expensive, he’d be a smart player to go after but the Raiders already have too much money tied up in Adams, Waller and Renfrow to justify spending big on another wide receiver.

Opinions Are High on Meyers

Meyers wasn’t drafted coming into the NFL and expectations weren’t high for him. It didn’t take long for him to prove that he belonged and carved out a role with the Patriots as a rookie. He’s led New England in receiving yards for three straight seasons. Heavy Sports’ Matt Lombardo believes the Raiders are a fit for Meyers and got some insight on opinions surrounding the wide receiver around the NFL.

“This kid is savvy as they come,” an NFL offensive coach told Lombardo. “He has a good feel for getting open, good hands, and extremely tough.”

The Patriots lack a lot of talent on offense so they could work hard to keep Meyers on the team. If not, he’ll likely be headed for the best biggest payday of his life. He could even see his stats improve if he goes to a team with a more stable offensive situation. That said, the Patriots did hire Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator recently so he should bring stability to the offense.