DK Metcalf joined the Pittsburgh Steelers amid the hoopla surrounding free agency week. He didn’t join the New England Patriots.
DK Metcalf is heading to a new place for the first time in half a decade. The Seattle Seahawks star requested a trade and not much later, he was on George Pickens’ team.
Ben Roethlisberger has questions about Metcalf’s impact on George Pickens’ future, but Metcalf’s arrival also sparked questions with Patriots fans.
Some might be wondering why after knowing all season long that the New England Patriots were lacking at the position, did they skip on Metcalf. Drake Maye has received praise from Kurt Warner as an under-the-radar quarterback to watch so the move seemingly rationalized itself.
The Patriots were also big spenders in free agency but neglected the wide receiver. One Patriots inside has the reason why.
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Patriots insider Mike Giardi tells all
According to a Mike Giardi article for the Boston Sports Journal via NESN, the team “didn’t love” Metcalf and his potential fit with the locker room.
“Here’s the sense I got speaking with a team source. They liked the player but didn’t love him, and while the AAV of the contract was what they expected, the Pats aren’t all that keen on surrendering draft capital.
“As important, the brass had questions about how Metcalf would fit into their locker room,” Girardi wrote.
So, in more ways than one, the Patriots seem to feel like they made the right call by keeping their draft capital and locker room intact. With Metcalf now getting paid big money to be in Pittsburgh and sharing a room with George Pickens, the potential for big numbers exists on the field. However, there is a drama risk as well.
Patriots need to add some spice to help Drake Maye
While DK Metcalf wasn’t the only solution for the wide receiver room, missing out on a tone-setting receiver is a big no-no for this off-season. If the Patriots want to see the full potential of the Drake Maye experience, they need to get someone with a big name to place out wide.
Whether it’s a trade for a receiver or a free agent somehow going under the radar, the pressure is on Eliot Wolf to get Maye some weapons to help him thrive. At a bare minimum, the Patriots might need to also think about using their fourth overall pick on the top receiver in the NFL Draft. Either way, it needs to be a point of emphasis for the team in the near future.
