The New England Patriots aren’t shutting the door on bringing back two of their key internal free agents, but their reported plans are going to risk losing them.

The two free agents-to-be in question are wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Jonathan Jones. Multiple reports are suggesting that the Patriots are interested in re-signing them, but neither are necessarily set to stay in New England without hitting free agency first.

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• According to Karen Guregian in the Boston Herald, “the Patriots have indicated they’d like to have Jones back.”  But Guregian added that “there have been no substantive talks to that end.”

  Pair that with a new report on Meyers from Mike Giardi of the NFL Network, who says his “belief” is that the Pats “will let him see what’s out there, but hope he comes back to them for final conversation.”

  So, both Meyers and Jones are expected to explore the open market first, then they will have the option of presenting the best offer to the Patriots to see if they will match it or make a worthwhile proposal back to him.

  This is not a new approach with the Patriots and veteran internal free agents, especially ones that aren’t necessarily expected to get top-of-the-market contracts. Recent examples of internal free agents who explored the market before re-signing with New England include Julian Edelman, Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower, James White, and Matthew Slater.

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  LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 18: Jonathan Jones #31 of the New England Patriots reacts during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)

• Jonathan Jones certainly feels like one of those cornerstone Patriots that makes sense to keep around. He’s not likely to approach the top of the market for cornerbacks, despite transitioning to primarily an outside role in 2022.

  Meyers is a different story. While he has been the Patriots’ most consistently reliable and productive receiver in recent years, he’s also widely considered the best available in free agency when it begins on March 15. So it’s hard to believe that he’ll come back to the Patriots with a contract offer that they’re willing to match. At the same time, he’s likely to get a deal for under $20 million per season, which could be palatable for Belichick.

  But that remains to be seen. Clearly, the Patriots are willing to risk losing Meyers and Jones to let them find out how much they’re worth themselves.

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  Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) runs with the ball before being tackled by Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1). Sunday, October 30, 2022 (Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY Network)

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  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

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