The New York Jets need some help at wide receiver this offseason.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic projected that the Jets would sign Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick in free agency to help fill the void.
“Patrick has ties to both [Aaron] Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand from a 2024 season spent with the Lions, and to [Darren] Mougey from six years spent with the [Denver] Broncos. He fought back from various significant injuries last year to contribute for an elite Lions offense: 33 catches, 394 yards, three touchdowns. He’d be more of a depth piece but, he’s 6-foot-4, 212 pounds and should be inexpensive,” Rosenblatt explained.
According to Spotrac’s calculated market value, Patrick is projected to sign a one-year deal for $1.7 million in free agency. That annual salary would rank No. 67 among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, per Spotrac.
Patrick is listed at 6-foot-5 and tips the scales at 210 pounds, according to the Lions’ official roster sheet.
Patrick Would Much Needed Depth to the Jets WR Room
The Jets wide receiver room will look a lot different in 2025 than in 2024.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said in a column on Sunday, February 16 that Tim Patrick from the Lions is “a name to watch” this offseason considering all of his connections to the Jets staff.
Patrick, 31, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He bounced around a few training camps during his first couple of months in the league. Eventually, he landed on the Broncos roster.
Patrick spent seven seasons with the Broncos. During that run, Patrick appeared in 55 games and made 37 starts. He racked up 143 receptions for 2,009 receiving yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
However, the final two years that he was on the Broncos roster he didn’t play in a game due to back-to-back devastating season-ending injuries.
The former Grossmont and Utah product blew out his ACL in 2022 and tore his Achilles in 2023.
In 2024 he joined the Lions and proved he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Patrick appeared in 16 games and made nine starts for Detroit. He caught 33 passes for 394 receiving yards and scored three touchdowns.
Patrick would provide a big body for the Jets receiver room at a bargain bin price tag.
Jets Shouldn’t Stop Adding Lions Players With Patrick
Rosenblatt predicted that the Jets would raid the Lions’ coffers this offseason.
In addition to a Patrick signing, Rosenblatt also projected that the Jets would steal away veteran defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike and linebacker Derrick Barnes in free agency.
“Glenn is trying to install his culture, and the best way for any coach to go about doing that is to bring in players who understand his approach, his style, and what he is looking for.
It helps that the best player in this trio, Onwuzurike, would fill a need too. He dealt with injuries early in his career but played in 16 games last season, his first full season with a significant role since the Lions drafted him in the second round in 2021. He’s still only 26 with room to improve, and he shouldn’t come at a significant cost — PFF is only projecting a two-year, $16.5 million deal. The previous regime failed to put decent defensive tackles next to Quinnen Williams in 2024, and Onwuzurike would be a major upgrade. He was 16th among defensive tackles in pressures last season (45) and seventh in hits (13). The Jets would still need to add a run-stopping defensive tackle,” Rosenblatt said.
Barnes, 25, entered the NFL as the No. 113 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. During his career to date, Barnes has appeared in 51 games and has made 26 starts.
Barnes has collected 205 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, and four sacks. Although the highlight of his career came in the divisional round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 21, 2024. Barnes intercepted Bucs’ quarterback Baker Mayfield in the final two minutes of the game to seal the victory and send Detroit to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1991.
DETROIT CAN FEEL IT. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/3h31FBHtKV
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
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