They never really had a chance, did they?
On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted to X.com that the Commanders and All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin have agreed on a three-year extension, ending the 29-year-old’s “hold-in” as the finalizes their roster in advance of their Week 1 matchup with the Giants.
Schefter went on to say that McLaurin’s deal is worth up to $96 million, per his agents Buddy Baker and Tony Bonagura.
The noise around McLaurin wanting a new deal has been reverberating around the league all summer long. And with the Patriots having a long-standing need at the position to go along with a league-leading $60 million in cap space, fans and media alike wondered if New England would get aggressive and make a move for Jayden Daniels’ favorite target.
And despite both executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel saying the team would be willing to take big swings at disgruntled stars even if that meant giving up premium draft capital, it appears the hypothetical packages being offered by New England to Washington just weren’t enough to get a trade done before the wideout agreed on an extension.
As it stands on Monday, the Patriots will forge ahead with a receiver room headlined by Stefon Diggs, who Vrabel told The Greg Hill Show on Monday he expects to be a full-go for Week 1 despite not appearing in any of the team’s three preseason games.
After Diggs, the likes of DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams and Mack Hollins all feel like locks to make the roster once the cutdown to 53 men comes on Tuesday afternoon. And after a strong spring and summer, undrafted free agent Efton Chism is expected to join that bunch.
Veteran Kendrick Bourne has been out since the team’s intrasquad scrimmage early in camp, and second-year receiver Javon Baker showed less-than-stellar performances at wideout during preseason action. The jury is still out on whether or not either player will be a part of the 2025 Patriots in some capacity.
As of publishing, the Patriots have already released 15 players from the 91 they had on their roster heading into the final preseason game:
- TE Jaheim Bell
- RB Micah Bernard
- DT Philip Blidi
- CB Isaiah Bolden
- TE Cole Fotheringham
- WR Phil Lutz
- LB R.J. Moten
- DT Kyle Peko
- CB Jordan Polk
- LB Monty Rice
- OL Layden Robinson
- G Tyrese Robinson
- G Sidy Sow
- RB Shane Watts
- QB Ben Wooldridge
Vrabel is scheduled to meet with the media on Monday at 1:45 p.m. ET before his team’s final practice before cutdown day.
Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com for all the latest on Patriots’ roster moves, and make sure you tune in to The Greg Hill Show each and every Monday during football season for their conversation with Vrabel.