The New England Patriots came into the 2023 offseason knowing they had to upgrade their weapons offensively. There were a number of factors that played a part in Mac Jones taking a step back in Year 2, such as injuries and coaching. 

The Patriots addressed one of those things by bringing back Bill O’Brien to be the offensive coordinator. Hopefully, Jones can stay healthy, but another area of concern was the talent around him. That became an even bigger issue for New England when wide receiver Jakobi Meyers departed in free agency.

Meyers joined Patriots-west, agreeing to a three-year, $33 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. He is the newest weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo, who also agreed to a contract with the team this offseason.

With their options limited in free agency, the Patriots struck a deal with arguably the best wide receiver on the market this offseason. They agreed to an identical three-year, $33 million deal with JuJu Smith-Schuster. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared the news.

Smith-Schuster has signed one-year deals in consecutive offseasons and landed the multi-year deal he sought. He earned it with his performance last season with the Kansas City Chiefs, helping the team win a Super Bowl and fill the void left by Tyreek Hill being traded.

Given the lack of depth in the free agent class, Smith-Schuster was able to cash in. He will bring toughness to the Patriots’ wide receiver group as he is an elite blocker in the run game. While he may thrive more as a No. 2 option than a No. 1 option, he is a nice upgrade for their passing game.

Not afraid to do the dirty work over the middle, Smith-Schuster is the kind of player that fits the way the Patriots play football. For as big of a social media presence that he has, he is all business once he steps on the field. Despite taking some huge hits in his career, he is fearless even when he knows someone is coming to lay the lumber.