New Patriots receiver has no intention of winning anytime soon
It's safe to say K.J. Osborn has low expectations for his new team.
It's safe to say that the days of the New England Patriots dominating the NFL has come to an end. Not only is Tom Brady retired, but Bill Belichick is no longer coaching the team. The Patriots went 4-13 last season, their worst record since going 1-15 back in 1990.
The Patriots have a lot of work cut out for them as they try and work their way back towards the top. Holding the No. 3 pick in this year's NFL Draft gives New England to potentially draft a game changer, whether it's a quarterback or a guy like Marvin Harrison Jr.
With the team being nowhere near competitive, New England has made several lower-profile moves this offseason, one of which saw the team sign former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn. He seems to understand the situation he's joining.
K.J. Osborn knows he's stepping into a rebuild in New England.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) March 20, 2024
Osborn: "I know what I signed up for. 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."
New Patriots WR is dismissing his team's chances of competing before playing a single snap
Did he really have to say it out loud? I mean, sure, expectations are low, but does that mean it's impossible for New England to surprise some people? Just this past season we saw the Houston Texans, a team many predicted to finish with one of, if not the worst record in the NFL, not only make the playoffs but win a playoff game. We saw the Indianapolis Colts, another team expected to finish towards the bottom, finish with a record above .500.
What if Jerod Mayo is an elite coach and the Patriots select, say, Jayden Daniels with the No. 3 pick and he has a monster rookie year? Where will the Patriots end up then?
It's good that it sounds like Osborn won't be too upset if the Patriots win only a handful of games, but it's not like he signed a mega-deal to stick around for a prolonged rebuild. Osborn signed a one-year deal to join New England. He shouldn't be dismissing his team's chances of competing in that one year he's guaranteed to be there.
Osborn should play a pretty big role, potentially as the team's WR2 behind Kendrick Bourne who the team re-signed earlier this offseason. Perhaps his teammates around him can step up and surprise the newcomer.
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