WR Osborn ready to join Patriots’ rebuild
K.J. Osborn spent the past three seasons as the Vikings’ No. 3 receiver.
He averaged 615 receiving yards eating leftover targets behind All-pro wideout Justin Jefferson and a former Pro Bowler in Adam Thielen, whom Minnesota replaced last year with first-round pick Jordan Addison.
Now, Osborn wants more, and he believes he’ll find it in New England.
“I’m excited to show the type of player I am,” Osborn told reporters via video conference Wednesday. “I’ve played with some great players – Adam (Thielen) and (Jefferson) and (T.J. Hockenson) and (Addison) and Dalvin (Cook). I’ve played with some great players. I’m excited to get some more opportunities and be able to really help this team win.”
Osborn said the Patriots made his Tuesday visit to the facility “feel like home.” He met with new head coach Jerod Mayo and owner Robert Kraft, among others. Before he agreed to terms on his 1-year freeagent contract Sunday, Osborn said he with Mayo about the team’s plans at quarterback, and became comfortable with the idea of joining a rebuilding team.
“I know what I signed up for,” he said. “It’s going to be a grind, and I want to be a person that helps get this organization back to where it needs to be.”
Last season, Osborn finished with 48 catches for 540 yards, more than every other Patriots receiver except then sixth-round rookie Demario Douglas. Osborn has played most of his career in the slot, where Douglas lines up, so it appears the two will split time there in 2024. The 26-year-old said he’s open to filling any role with the Patriots, including serving as their No. 1 target.
Giants: Kiper weighs in
Whether the Giants go quarterback or wide receiver with their first pick in next month’s NFL Draft, they’re changing the long-term trajectory of the franchise.
That’s according to ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who projected Giants general manager Joe Schoen to select Washington wideout Rome Odunze at No. 6 overall in his latest mock, but says he wouldn’t be surprised to see Big Blue take fast-rising Michigan quarterback JJ Mccarthy, either.
“This is an organizational decision that’s going to determine their fate for the next 10 years,” Kiper said Wednesday during his first conference call of draft season.
Kiper, a longtime advocate for current Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, describes the 6-3 Odunze as a “special” player who could become the team’s first true No. 1 receiver since it traded away Odell Beckham Jr. in 2019.
That Beckham trade to the Browns occurred weeks before the Giants drafted Jones with the sixth pick in that year’s draft.
“If you take the quarterback [this year], you lose [LSU receiver] Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, which is something the Giants desperately need,” Kiper said. “They haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2018 with Odell Beckham Jr. Daniel Jones was dead last in terms of explosive plays in the passing game. Since he came into the league, he hasn’t had those guys, that weapon, at wide receiver.”
Jets: Williams ready to go
The Jets newest wide receiver, Mike Williams flew from Paris to California and then on to New Jersey to meet with his new team this week. The former Clemson star arrived in New Jersey on Monday night and toured the facility on Tuesday.
Williams, 29, who also had visits with the Carolina Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers scheduled for later this week, didn’t leave the Jets facility until after signing a one-year contract that could be worth up to $15 million on Tuesday evening.
The Los Angeles Chargers released Williams — the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft — last week in order to save $20 million against their salary cap.
“For me personally, it was a great fit for me,” Williams told reporters on Wednesday morning. “Aaron [Rodgers], I want to be able to play with him, pick his brain and learn from him.
“Playing alongside Garrett [Wilson]. He kind of reminds me of Keenan [Allen] a little bit. Similar style play, great route runners and I feel like we can complement each other in that area in the running game, which is pretty good.”