FOOTBALL

Josh McDaniels connection big for free agents Jakobi Meyers, Phillip Dorsett

Mar 17, 2023, 12:30 PM

FOXBORO, MA. - DECEMBER 30: New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hugs Phillip Dorsett #13 after their 38-3 win against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Staff Photo By Matt Stone/ Boston Herald)

(Staff Photo By Matt Stone/ Boston Herald)

BY JOSEPH JAROSZ
Sactown Sports

A common theme among the Las Vegas Raiders free agent signees, at least on offense, is their connection to Josh McDaniels and the system he ran in New England.

This week, the team agreed to terms with wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Phillip Dorsett. And like new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Meyers and Dorsett both have ties to the New England Patriots.

Meyers overlapped with McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler from 2019-2021. Dorsett was part of the Patriots organization from 2017-19. Both talked about how the connections they made with McDaniels influenced their decision to sign with the Raiders.

“I feel like when I first met Josh [McDaniels] he was just pushing me,” Meyers said. “Maybe at the time I wasn’t his biggest fan, but looking back on my career, he helped me grow as a football player and as a man. So, it definitely played a big part as far as me choosing to come here. I just want to be a better person and a better player.”

🔑: Take care of the little things@jkbmyrs5 on Head Coach Josh McDaniels’ mentality on the field. pic.twitter.com/s4pbWhOKku

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) March 16, 2023

When asked about his relationship with McDaniels, Dorsett the two of them always had a good connection.

“His football mind is just out of this world, man. He’s really smart when it comes to football and just putting things together, putting game plans together, multiple personnels and stuff like that,” Dorsett said. “Me and him have been close because we see eye to eye when it comes to football, and we’ve always stayed in contact. But it was just an opportunity that came that I just felt like me, personally, I couldn’t refuse. And I just want to come here and help this team win any way I can.”

As for playing in a Josh McDaniels system, Dorsett said it’s all about the details.

“I would say everybody got to be on the same page,” Dorsett said. “Like I said before, the details are definitely huge when it comes to just knowing the ins and outs of everything. As a receiver, just attacking leverage and thingslike that. There’s a lot of minuet thingsthat go into this offense that you can’t basically acknowledge. So it’s an amazing offense to play in once you’ve been in it and you understand it and you know what’s going on.”