It is a disheartening letdown to discover the Patriots were not able to bring home their top offensive target of the offseason, a player who would have easily fit into their biggest area of need: standout wide receiver Calvin Ridley. The Patriots made a strong effort to acquire Ridley and were seen as the frontrunners to lure him from Jacksonville, at least until the Titans swiftly swooped in and secured him with a four-year, $92 million contract.
It is probable that the Patriots will simply accept the loss of Ridley and shift their focus to the NFL draft, but there is still the possibility that the team might trade for a top-notch receiver. Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins or the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk would be excellent choices—superior to Ridley by far.
But if there is a top choice, it is Vikings standout Justin Jefferson, arguably the finest receiver in the NFL.
It is a remote possibility, but according to the betting odds, the Patriots have almost as good a chance as anyone to pursue Jefferson. According to MinnesotaBets.com, it’s a plus-7,000 bet, which translates to about a 1.4% chance, but that ranks the Patriots No. 4 on the list of potential destinations for a Jefferson trade.
Is Justin Jefferson Seeking Over $30 Million per Year?
The top team is Cincinnati, where Jefferson would reunite with his LSU teammate, quarterback Joe Burrow. The Cardinals and Giants are also in the betting mix, though at 2.0%, they’re both just a hair ahead of New England.
The reason the odds are so low is because the expectation remains that Jefferson will stay with the Vikings. It would be a public-relations disaster, of course, if the team let him depart after already having lost quarterback Kirk Cousins.
But Jefferson, it seems, intends to make the Vikings pay. Adam Schefter of ESPN stated on Wednesday that Jefferson had already declined an extension that would have put him on par with the highest-paid receiver in the league, Tyreek Hill, who earns $30 million per year. Spotrac estimates Jefferson’s market value at $117.6 million over four years, which is likely conservative.
During Super Bowl week in Las Vegas last month, Jefferson was not hesitant about what he was seeking in a new contract. That is daunting for the Vikings. It could also be daunting for the Patriots, although the team still has available cap space.
“I want to break the bank and I want to be a part of an organization that values me and is willing to truly compensate me for what I deserve. I believe eventually the Vikings will do what is necessary to have me in the building, but I’m not entirely sure at this moment. Only time will tell,” Jefferson said per SI.com.
Patriots Desperately in Need of WR Assistance
No doubt the Patriots need a new top-tier wide receiver. The question is whether the Pats can acquire one through a trade, and whether a player of Jefferson’s caliber would be interested in coming to New England, where career backup Jacoby Brissett is currently the top quarterback.
Jefferson has reached 1,000 receiving yards in all four of his seasons, including last year when he only played 10 games due to injury. Throughout his career, he has averaged 98.3 yards receiving per game.
As it is, recently re-signed Kendrick Bourne is probably their top wide receiver, but he is a No. 2/3 on a good team. They have two more years of JuJu Schuster-Smith (they can get out of his contract in 2025), who is likely playing with a knee injury.
Rookie sixth-round pick Demario Douglas showed promise last year, and is expected to have a more important role. But he is a 5-foot-8 slot player.
Jefferson could change all that. If he chose to, at least.
