Patriots sign former Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn to a one-year contract.
Numerous reports on Sunday state that K.J. Osborn, a former wide receiver for the Vikings, has agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Patriots. For a while, it seemed inevitable that Osborn would leave Minnesota, particularly after the Vikings inked Trent Sherfield to a one-year contract and re-signed Brandon Powell. With JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeMario Douglas, and Kendrick Bourne among the Patriots’ current top receivers, he should have plenty of opportunities to get substantial playing time. Osborn, a 2020 fifth-round selection out of Miami, spent four years as a highly reliable wide receiver with the Vikings. As a rookie, he solely participated in special teams play. However, in 2021, he made waves with a 50-655-7 line. In 2022, he added another 650 yards, including 157 yards in the largest NFL comeback against the Colts. Even though Justin Jefferson missed a significant portion of the previous season, Osborn’s stats were slightly worse at 48-540-3. He experienced a few decreases during the year of his deal.
This summer, Osborn will turn 27. He is a reliable receiver who primarily works over the middle of the field. He’s a dependable run stopper as well. According to our UFA profile: The Vikings lost Jefferson for more than seven games when they benched veteran Adam Thielen in favor of rookie Jordan Addison last season. Nevertheless, in a contract year, Osborn’s stats somewhat declined, falling to 48-540-3 with just two games over 50 yards and a career-high seven drops (per PFF).
Considering that he only had two drops in 2021 and 2022 combined, the declines were unexpected. When Osborn isn’t having trouble with drops, he’s a reliable WR3. He is a possession receiver with a career average of 11.7 yards per reception, most of which is spent in the mid zone of the field. Despite his lackluster speed and route running, he possesses red zone value and some deceptive big-play ability. In addition, he can effectively stop runs from the slot or the boundary. Osborn will meet up with former Vikings teammate Jalen Reagor in New England. Notably, the Vikings now have two third-round compensatory picks available for the 2025 draft as a result of this transaction.
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