Live Updates, Latest Rumors and News – NBC Boston
Patriots 2023 Free Agency Tracker: Live Updates and Latest Rumors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The 2023 NFL offseason gets exciting with the legal free agency manipulation period beginning Monday at 12 p.m. ET.
At this point, teams can officially discuss new contracts with players from other teams, but those deals can’t become official until the free agent market opens at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
The New England Patriots are one of the teams to watch closely as free agency approaches.
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The Patriots missed the 2022 playoffs with an 8-9 record and struggled offensively. After hiring a true offensive coordinator in Bill O’Brien, the Patriots need to surround quarterback Mac Jones with better talent on the skill positions and improve the offensive line. New England also needs to replace recently retired safety Devin McCourty and maybe even cornerback Jonathan Jones, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
Stay tuned here with our live legal tampering deadline blog for the latest Patriots rumors, news and deals done with their own free agents and other players.
11:20 a.m: The Patriots begin a trade to create a good amount of salary cap space. Tight end Jonnu Smith joins the Falcons.
11:01 a.m: Will the Patriots bring back wide receiver Jakobi Meyers? What does it take to re-sign him?
Here’s what ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported on Sunday:
“According to an NFL leadership source, a team that has been scouting the potential market for Meyers believes it needs to be in the $15+ million-per-year range to sign him.
“When things play out that way (and predictions don’t always come true), some in the NFL don’t see the Patriots keeping Meyers because of their history.”
If the price tag is $15 million or more, the Patriots might be wise to find another option. Meyers is a talented and reliable sales representative, but you don’t want to pay too much for mid-range players.
10:50 a.m. ET: The Patriots were among the teams at veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s private practice on Friday.