Matthew Judon is recruiting for the Patriots again, attempting to get three big-name players to New England
FOXBORO -- It appears as though Matthew Judon has an offseason wish list for the Patriots. But if the pass rusher's past track record as a recruiter is any indication of what to expect this spring, none of the players on Judon's wish list will be donning a New England uniform next season.
With NFL free agency set to officially begin Wednesday afternoon, Judon tweeted out three players that he'd like to see on the Patriots: Cornerback Darius Slay, and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr.
In Judon's world, Slay would join the Pats first, followed by the pair of pass-catchers. In reality, the odds are stacked against any of the three coming to New England.
For starters, Slay is not a fan of Matt Patricia, whom he played for while the two were in Detroit. Slay, who was recently released by Philadelphia, had some unflattering things to say about Patricia as he prepared for Super Bowl LVII last month. Patricia is no longer employed by the Patriots, but Slay fired off another tweet aimed at the "Patriot Way" late Tuesday evening.
Chances are that he will not be coming to New England, despite the team's need at corner.
The Patriots also need some help at receiver following the free agent departure of Jakobi Meyers, who reportedly jumped to Las Vegas for a three-year, $33 million deal on Tuesday. While the Patriots have been connected to Beckham in the past, and linked to Hopkins this offseason, it doesn't feel like they'll pony up the price for either.
Beckham will likely command a pretty decent salary as a free agent, even after missing all of last season. Hopkins is signed for two more seasons at big money, and would also require a decent trade package to get him from the Arizona Cardinals.
While Judon has done an incredible job getting to quarterbacks with the Patriots, he hasn't been so good at recruiting free agents to come to town. Over the last two years, he's made unsuccessful bids to get the likes of Aaron Donald, Chandler Jones, Bobby Wagner, and Allen Robinson to come to New England.
While the three players he mentioned on Wednesday are unlikely to land with the Patriots, the law of averages says Judon will eventually hit on one of these pitches.
