The breakout season could mean the Patriots have moved on from pass catcher too soon

Bill Belichick’s 2021 free agency spending spree generated a lot of opinion about who was signed and how much they were paid. It was the first time in many years that the head coach and unofficial general manager had chosen to use a large portion of the available cap space to renew the team, and in the years since, many of the signings appeared to be the right choice.

Several remain on the team, notably Kendrick Bourne, Davon Godchaux and Hunter Henry, while others were deemed busts almost immediately or were eventually traded.

One of the more prominent names that didn’t live up to expectations or hype during their New England tenure was tight end Jonnu Smith. At the time, he was coming off an impressive season with the Titans, and the Patriots were in desperate need of talented tight ends as they had struggled to fill the role since Rob Gronkowski left a few years earlier.

Joining Henry as one of the top free agent signings, the former Charger became the go-to tight end for every quarterback lining up under center as Smith continued to struggle to become fully integrated into the offensive.

Because things never seemed to click for him with the Patriots, he was traded in 2023 to the Falcons and has since joined the Dolphins this season. He is on pace to have the best season of his career after accomplishing it in Atlanta, which makes the decision to move on from him a little more questionable for the Patriots.

Despite the chaos the Dolphins have dealt with this season, especially offensively, Smith has become a consistently productive pass catcher within that offense, even with guys like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the lineup. He has proven to be an excellent addition to an already potent offense and is on pace for his best season to date.

So far in 2024, Smith has recorded 48/63 receptions for 535 yards and four touchdowns. That’s already more productive and better stats than the two years he spent in Foxboro, when he totaled just 55/83 receptions for 539 yards and a touchdown.

He is seemingly back to the player he appeared to be at Tennessee, if not better than he ever was during his NFL career. Considering the Patriots haven’t found a solid tight end over the years besides Henry, it would have been nice to have that kind of production from Smith when he was on the team.

The problem was that the offensive coordinators didn’t seem to understand how to use him, and of course, during the opportunities Smith had, he didn’t always perform.

Regardless, it seems like they may have chosen to move on from him a little too early. Maybe he didn’t fit an offense under Belichick and would have thrived more in the new regime. He would be a solid addition to Drake Maye’s offense, though Henry and Austin Hooper have been reliable for the rookie so far this season.

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