Did Patriots tip their QB plans to WR K.J. Osborn before signing?

Hearing Jerod Mayo and Alex Van Pelt’s plan put K.J. Osborn’s mind at ease when signing with the Patriots

Former Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn recently opened up on his thought process before signing with the New England Patriots, and he admitted the uncertain quarterback situation crossed his mind.

Osborn signed a one-year deal with New England on Sunday. He comes to the Patriots after playing for a Vikings team that was loaded at the wide receiver position. He tallied 48 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns last season in an offense with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

Now, he could be a depth piece for a Patriots wide receiver group that is still continuing to build.

Receiver isn’t the only area where building is necessary. Quarterback is still a position of focus as well. That was something the wideout took into consideration before signing with New England.

However, after listening to coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s plan, he came around to the idea of joining the Patriots.

“I trust them that everything will take care of itself,” said Osborn, via 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth.

Osborn is certainly a welcome piece in New England considering the production he’s capable of providing in the slot. His trust in the team is likely warranted with New England expected to take one of the top rookie quarterbacks on the 2024 NFL draft board.

Details of WR K.J. Osborn’s Patriots contract revealed

Here’s what K.J. Osborn’s new Patriots contract looks like

The New Patriots signed wide receiver K.J. Osborn on Sunday, and the details of his contract were released. Osborn is getting a one-year, $4 million deal worth upwards of $6 million, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

This could end up being a bargain contract for New England. Osborn was the No. 3 wide receiver in Minnesota behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He still ended up putting together a strong season in 2023, recording 48 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns. This included averaging 11.3 yards per reception.

The Patriots could still build their wide receiver room through the draft, as Osborn will provide a nice depth option for the position.

This isn’t the splashy free agent signing that many Patriots fans were hoping to see in free agency. Nevertheless, this does give New England a stabilizing force in a receiving corps that could be on the verge of a youth infusion.

Report: Patriots signing former Vikings WR K.J. Osborn

The Patriots make their first outside signing at wide receiver

The New England Patriots are reportedly making their first outside signing at the wide receiver position.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Patriots are signing former Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn to a deal. Osborn has mostly flown under the radar thanks to the massive shadow cast by Vikings All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson.

But there’s no doubt that he was a strong complementary option for Minnesota over the last three seasons. He posted 48 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns in an offense with both Jefferson and standout rookie Jordan Addison.

However, in the two previous years, Osborn posted 50-plus receptions for 600-plus yards.

No, this isn’t the big-ticket free agent signing Patriots fans are waiting for this offseason, but Osborn is a reliable playmaker that would be thrown into an offense that would have benefitted greatly from having him last season.

There’s more work to do at receiver, but this latest signing is a great start.

Patriots sign former Vikings WR K.J. Osborn

The New England Patriots are signing former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn to a contract.

The Minnesota Vikings have lost another free agent. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the New England Patriots have agreed to a contract with wide receiver K.J. Osborn.

A fifth-round pick in 2020, Osborn was drafted by the Vikings, but he was announced as a kick returner and not a wide receiver. He wasn’t very good as a returner but worked hard at his craft and developed into the Vikings WR3 for his last three years.

In his career, Osborn has played in 59 games with 14 starts. He caught 158 passes for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is set to join a Patriots team that needs help on the outside and will have a chance to earn a starting job.

What does this mean for the Vikings? They could end up getting a compensatory selection if his contract is worth $3 million or more.

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Top 12 remaining free-agent wide receivers

Tee Higgins and Mike Evans are now off the table. So, who’s left?

Sorry, Carolina Panthers fans. There will probably be no Tee Higgins and definitely no Mike Evans in your team’s immediate future.

But that doesn’t mean they still can’t sign a worthwhile wideout next week.

Here are the top 12 remaining receivers who are slated to hit free agency:

1 pending free agent the Eagles could target from each NFC team

We’re looking at one pending free agent from each NFC team that the Philadelphia Eagles could target

Free agency is about two weeks away, and the Philadelphia Eagles have several players set to hit the open market. General manager Howie Roseman has to make critical decisions to fill roster holes.

While Roseman will likely look to the free agent market for answers, several in-house free agents are candidates to sign an extension ahead of free agency.

The Birds are set to have 20 pending free agents, and with another likely retool schedule on defense, the organization could conjure up a scheme for more flexibility.

According to Over the Cap’s potential transaction chart, the Eagles can easily create $35.4 million in cap space by making these five moves.

With the new league year fast approaching, we’re looking at one pending free agent from each NFC team that could interest Philadelphia.

Projected market value for Vikings’ top free agents

With NFL free agency less than two weeks out, we took a look at the market values for different Minnesota Vikings free agents

Minnesota Vikings fans have heard it over and over again, but it can’t be overstated how important this off-season is for the franchise’s future. One of the first dominoes to fall is the free agency period, and Minnesota has a lot of difficult decisions to make regarding the franchise’s direction.

Will Kirk Cousins and the front office find common ground on a deal? Can the long-term Viking Danielle Hunter stay in purple for another contract? What will it take to keep K.J. Osborn in the fold?

In this exercise, we find a few examples of what their market value is projected to be from experts in the industry.

Market projections courtesy of Spotrac

6 Wide receivers Minnesota Vikings could target in free agency

With both K.J. Osborn and Brandon Powell set to hit free agency, will the Vikings look to replace them? Here’s six free agent possibilities.

Last week we took a look at some quarterbacks and running backs the Minnesota Vikings could pursue in free agency. Now it’s time to look outside at the wide receivers. Wide receiver is a position the Vikings don’t necessarily need to prioritize in the NFL’s free agency period.

They have an All-Pro-caliber number one receiver in Justin Jefferson, who is under contract for another year. Minnesota will likely attempt to move Heaven and Earth to get Jefferson under contract long-term, too.

On the other side of Jefferson, they have Jordan Addison, who proved during his rookie campaign last year that he’s more than capable of blossoming into a formidable receiver in his own right. The 1-2 punch of Jefferson and Addison can be a real force to be reckoned with in the league if the Vikings get their quarterback situation squared away.

Whether that means Kirk Cousins, a free agent, or taking someone in the NFL draft remains to be seen.

Further down the depth chart is where things start to get interesting. For the last four years they’ve had K.J. Osborn, who has been a solid option in the passing game and has shown glimpses of being able to provide more than he’s been asked to.

He’s almost an afterthought in the Vikings offense with the WRs above ahead of him, along with tight end T.J. Hockenson. Brandon Powell rounds out the position, and brings some solid play as a WR4.

Both Osborn and Powell are scheduled to hit the open market in free agency. Should the Vikings sign one — or both — or should they look to upgrade at the position with someone who’s available? Let’s take a look at six options the Vikings could look at at wide receiver.

10 WRs the Colts should target in free agency

The Colts should target these WRs in free agency.

The Indianapolis Colts are looking to be more explosive on offense in 2024 and one way to make that happen is with an addition to the receiving corps.

The first matter of business, of course, is the Michael Pittman Jr. contract extension. Chris Ballard will have to either come to an agreement with him by March 5 or use the franchise tag on him.

Odds say that MPJ will be a Colt next season but regardless of whether he walks or stays in Indianapolis, we’re taking a look at 10 receivers who should be on the front office’s radar in free agency.

We should note that we understand a handful of these players won’t even hit the market, but we’re working under the hypothetical scenario that they hit they become available, regardless of how slim the chances are.

Stay or Go: Predicting the fates of Vikings free agents in 2024

The Minnesota Vikings have 28 free agents this offseson. Who will return and who will be leaving in free agency? We break it down here.

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of needs heading into the 2024 season and one of the ways they can address those is by re-signing their own free agents.

Heading into the offseason, the Vikings have 28 players set to hit the free-agent market and there are a lot of decisions that need to be made for the present and the future.

What should they do? Would it be worth it to bring back each individual player? There is an argument for or against all of them and we will break it all down.