The New England Patriots came into the NFL offseason looking for help at the tight end position. It didn’t take long for them to find it. Soon after the opening of the NFL’s legal free agency tampering window, reports have broken that the Patriots have agreed to terms with former Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots and Smith have agreed to a four-year contract worth $50 million.
This is exactly the kind of move that the Patriots needed to make. Smith is a very talented tight end and is still very much in his prime. He will give the New England offense a much-needed weapon for Cam Newton, who recently re-signed with the team to a one-year deal.
Last season with the Titans, Smith ended up catching 41 passes for 488 yards and eight touchdowns. He put up those numbers in an offense that did not utilize him as often as they could have.
Standing in at 6-foot-3 and a shade under 250 pounds, Smith is a very fast and athletic tight end. He will be able to create mismatches for the Patriots. That is exactly what the offense was missing last season, along with more weapons at the wide receiver position.
Josh McDaniels has always used tight ends heavily in his offensive game plans. Smith will take over the former role that Rob Gronkowski played. Jonnu Smith should receive a lot more targets than he had with the Titans.
New England has started the free agency period exactly how they needed to. They still have work to do, but signing Smith is a huge step in the right direction for their offense.
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