Patriots Analysis
Patriots 90-Man Roster Spotlight: Jalen Reagor
The New England Patriots can have up to 90 players under contract during the offseason. Patriots Football Now will profile all 90 players over the upcoming weeks. Today’s featured player is Jalen Reagor
Jalen Reagor
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Reagor No. 21 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was taken ahead of such players as Justin Jefferson (No. 22, Vikings), Brandon Aiyuk (No. 25, 49ers), Tee Higgins (No. 33, Bengals), and Michael Pittman Jr. (No. 34, Colts). Reagor failed to live up to expectations in Philadelphia.
Jalen Reagor amassed 64 receptions for 695 yards and three touchdowns during his two seasons with the Eagles. By the time the 2022 NFL season rolled around, Philadelphia had found their wide receiver duo. They added Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith in the 2021 draft and traded for A.J. Brown a year later. Reagor was deemed expendable just two years after being a first-round selection. He got traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a pair of Day 3 draft picks.
Reagor played all 17 games for Minnesota in 2022. His primary contributions came on special teams. As a receiver, Reagor caught only eight passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. He returned 26 punts for a 6.4 average, fumbling four times (though only losing one).
Also Read – Training Camp Competition: Patriots Wide Receivers Room
The Vikings waived Reagor on Aug. 30, 2023. The Patriots signed him to their practice squad a day later. It was a classic low-risk, high-reward signing. Reagor was only 24 years old, a former first-round pick, and possessed NFL athleticism. Bill Belichick may have viewed him similarly to Cordarelle Patterson, who New England signed back in 2018.
Jalen Reagor earned multiple elevations before being signed to the active roster. He appeared in 11 games for the Patriots. His contributions to the receiving game were minimal in New England. He caught seven passes for 138 yards. However, he excelled as a kickoff returner. He returned seven kicks for 221 yards (31.6 average)
JALEN REAGOR 98-YARD KICKOFF RETURN TD
📺: #NEvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/sFjqko01pD pic.twitter.com/VT2hMYoqps— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2023
Contract Status
Jalen Reagor signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots this offseason. His cap number is $1,292,500.
Patriots Wide Receivers and Return Specialists
The New England Patriots have 12 wide receivers in training camp. This group consists of Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kawaan Baker, David Wallis, and JaQuae Jackson.
Reagor is the only player with significant kickoff return experience returning from the 2023 Patriots roster. Running backs Antonio Gibson and Kevin Harris have experience returning. Punt returner Marcus Jones could see time there as well.
Outlook for Jalen Reagor
The wide receiver room for New England is far from settled. In addition to the camp competition between those on the roster, the health of Kendrick Bourne and possible trade for San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk are worth monitoring as well. Reagor’s value stems largely from his role as a kickoff returner, however.
The new NFL kickoff rules in 2024 could impact the value of Reagor, like all return specialists, have moving forward. Whether that means an increase or decrease remains to be seen.
As of now, Jalen Reagor is projected to make the New England Patriots 53-man roster. He is a veteran reserve receiver with upside, and a key contributor on special teams. That said, he is far from a roster lock at this point. The new kickoff rules in the preseason games, in addition to monitoring who else is returning and how they perform, could dictate whether Reagor sticks on the active roster. But it serves him hopes well to know that the current regime under Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo chose to bring him back in free agency.
