A second 2020 breakout Patriots player was available for a video conference with reporters on Tuesday, as Jakobi Meyers shared much of Michael Onwenu's sentiment that being back around his teammates was energizing.
"It feels good honestly," said Meyers after a day of Phase Three OTAs which involve some on-field work. "Just sitting around the house isn't something that I really signed up for when I thought of playing in the NFL. Being around the guys, being in the locker room with the guys, just enjoying being around them and working every day is something I definitely love about the NFL."
After showing hints of promise as a rookie in 2019, Meyers became the Patriots' most consistent receiver in 2020. With 59 catches for 729 yards, Meyers also threw a pair of touchdowns in two of the Patriots' biggest wins of the season, but there's always a way to continue improving.
"I feel like last year I had a couple little brain farts here and there, just mental lapses where I wouldn't know what to do but it wouldn't click for me right away," explained Meyers. "Just trying to erase as many of those as I possibly can. Being able to make it through a whole season... it's pretty long, that's my first time doing something like that. Just being able to be consistent day in, day out for as long as the season is, is definitely something I wanna get better at."
The task of improvement will be a bit more difficult without Julian Edelman in the room. A tone-setter for the team and especially the wide receiver group, Edelman was a huge part of Meyers' development.
"Jules, he might not say the kindest words here and there, but you could watch Jules and, he didn't ever say a word, but you could learn a books-worth of information," said Meyers. "Having him around it definitely helped my game tremendously and I'm just excited that I had the opportunity to be with him in the locker room for those two years."
The arrival of free agents Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne should help give the receiver group a boost in the wake of Edelman's retirement.
"They family already," said Meyers of the new duo, all were participants in offseason workouts in California shortly after Bourne and Agholor signed. "I love having them around, just the energy they bring and how hard they work. They definitely two guys who, you can tell they want to be the best at what they do. Every day we come in here, they push each other, they push us. They've just definitely brought some new life to the room and I'm definitely excited to have them here."
