Jordy Nelson reportedly drawing interest from Patriots
Free agent wide receiver Jordy Nelson has reportedly drawn significant interest from the New England Patriots and four other teams.
The New England Patriots may have struck out when it came time to try and sign Golden Tate, Adam Humphries, and Cole Beasley in NFL free agency… but they’re not giving up on finding a wide receiver just yet. According to numerous reports, the Patriots are one of a handful of teams around the league with a vested interest and curiosity in 33-year-old Jordy Nelson.
New England is reportedly competing with the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, and Oakland Raiders for Nelson’s services.
Former Packers’ WR Jordy Nelson is scheduled to visit the Seahawks on Tuesday, per source. They were interested in Nelson last year; GM John Schneider loves Nelson.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2019
Other interested teams at this point include: Patriots, Titans, Chiefs, Raiders.
Nelson spent 10 years with the Green Bay Packers before getting released by the team a little over a year ago. He signed a two-year contract with the Raiders last March and appeared in 15 games for them, finishing with 739 yards and three touchdowns. Nelson was released by Oakland last Thursday, in what the team described as a “cost-cutting” move.
If he still has juice left in the tank, Nelson could be a valuable weapon in the Patriots’ offense. Especially with Chris Hogan’s own free agency still unresolved – and with Josh Gordon serving an indefinite suspension – the team is in dire need of reinforcements at wideout.
Nelson is a savvy veteran who would presumably have no problems picking up Josh McDaniels’ complex offensive schemes. It’s important to note that Nelson also spent a decade catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. If he could earn Rodgers’ trust and become his favorite target, then he should have no issues doing the same with Tom Brady.
Perhaps the biggest hurdles standing in the way of a Nelson-to-New-England transaction are economics and the Seahawks. Seattle is reportedly head-over-heels for Nelson, and like the Patriots, the Seahawks have a pressing need to surround their quarterback with some more playmakers on the outside. Especially with Nelson already in the Pacific Northwest for a visit today, it might be hard for the Patriots to try and interfere at the last minute.
Next. Patriots should keep practicing patience. dark
Beyond that, New England’s salary cap situation isn’t exactly fluid enough right now to be handing out new deals wherever the team and its fans might like. It stands to reason that part of the problem the Pats might have had so far in free agency is they simply cannot afford to compete with other, more financially-free teams in making offers to these players.
Nelson becoming a Patriot might only happen if he’s willing to take a lesser deal in order to compete for a championship and experience a winning culture again alongside Bill Belichick and Brady.