‘They Don’t Want Me!’ Why’d New England Patriots Sign Juju Over Jakobi Meyers?

‘They Don’t Want Me!’ Why’d New England Patriots Sign Juju Over Jakobi Meyers?

The New England Patriots made a series of offseason moves designed to upgrade the offense ... and the team's 1-4 record is among the many numbers that establish that the moves aren't working.

One of those decisions was to allow the departure of Jakobi Meyers, who left via free agency to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders team that on Sunday plays host to coach Bill Belichick's Pats in Week 6.

JuJu Vs. Jakobi

Writes the Boston Herald: “Days before signing with Las Vegas, a shocked Meyers told inquiring teammates and staffers: “They don’t want me.” One league source indicated the Pats weren’t even the runner-up for Meyers, despite entering free agency with the sixth-most cap space in the NFL. This week, Bill Belichick claimed Meyers was a priority in an offseason when he re-signed 13 of the Patriots’ 16 other free agents. ...''

The insinuation here is that Belichick's claim is untrue.

Instead of keeping Meyers, the Patriots opted to offer a similar contract to Juju Smith-Schuster. How is that working out in New England. JuJu has 14 catches for 86 yards and no TDs. Meanwhile, Meyers in Las Vegas has 25 catches for 274 yards and three TDs.

Many have questioned Belichick and his coaching legacy. But this brings up a different issue and an easier argument to make: What about Belichick and his recent roster-building work as a GM? 

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Jakobi Meyers "fit'' here; as Julian Edelman recently said on "The Herd'' with Colin Cowherd, "He could separate a lot. He could run routes. He was tough in the run game. He would go in and block (with) force. And that's what you preach as a New England receiver: get open, catch the ball, and block in the run game.''

What did Belichick see in JuJu that he wasn't getting from Jakobi? All we know for sure is that "They don't want me'' resonates more strongly than Belichick suggesting otherwise.