Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster joins the Patriots this season and should provide an upgrade at wide receiver over Jakobi Meyers, who left via free agency. Peter Aiken/Associated Press
There was disappointment within the New England Patriots’ organization that the team couldn’t close a deal with free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, a source told the Boston Herald. But it’s not as if the Patriots didn’t get quarterback Mac Jones any help this offseason.
The team allowed wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to walk in free agency and traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons, but replaced them with players who have higher ceilings – at least as pass-catchers – in receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki. The feeling within the organization is that Smith-Schuster can be better after the catch and provide more playmaking ability than Meyers.
The best years of Smith-Schuster’s career have come when he’s sharing the field with a truly elite pass catcher – be that Antonio Brown with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018, when he caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards with seven touchdowns, or Travis Kelce with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, when he caught 78 passes for 933 yards with three touchdowns. So, Smith-Schuster probably would have better coexisted with a player like Hopkins in the offense. But the Patriots also have enough talented pass-catchers with similar talent that defenses won’t have the option to zero in on Smith-Schuster to neutralize the offense. The offense has starting-caliber players in running back Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receivers DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton, plus Gesicki and fellow tight end Hunter Henry.
We mostly saw a two-tight end attack during spring practices with Gesicki and Henry sharing the field. But Smith-Schuster also wasn’t present for any open sessions, so it will be interesting to see if one running back, one tight end and three receivers becomes more common in the offense this summer in training camp. Expect Smith-Schuster, Parker, Henry and Stevenson to be starters. The fifth spot to go along with those four pass-catchers, Jones and five offensive linemen should come down to Bourne, Gesicki and Thornton. Rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas is also a wild card for a slot role.
If New England primarily uses three wide receivers, then Smith-Schuster will likely see the majority of his time in the slot with Parker and either Bourne or Thornton taking the outside spots at wide receiver. If Gesicki becomes a cornerstone in the offense, then Smith-Schuster could see more time outside, sharing the wide receiver role with Parker. That would put Gesicki in the slot, Henry at tight end and Stevenson at running back.
But the Patriots view Smith-Schuster as an inside-to-outside (in that order) option. He can play both roles, giving the team flexibility. They also don’t view Gesicki as being limited to an inside-only role. He too can play in the slot, split out wide, or be an inline tight end.
Smith-Schuster spent 85.3 percent of his snaps in the slot in 2020, per Pro Football Focus, but as little as 42.1 percent last season. So, he has extensive experience and has thrived in both positions.
Gesicki was initially listed on the Patriots’ roster at 250 pounds. A recent update pushed his weight down to 245 pounds. That’s in line with what the Boston Herald was told about Gesicki’s expected role after he signed. Gesicki will meet with tight ends, but he won’t be expected to take on as much responsibility as a blocker compared to other players at the position. Coach Bill Belichick has called that type of player a “big receiver” in the past.
Gesicki has played as much as 71.0 percent of snaps in the slot in 2019, 29.2 percent of his snaps out wide in 2021, and 51.6 percent of his snaps inline as a rookie, per PFF. Gesicki played 25.2 percent of snaps in line in 2022 – his highest rate since his rookie season – and struggled to produce. He’s best suited for the slot, or split out wide.
The Patriots don’t have the overall playmaking offensive talent of teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals or Philadelphia Eagles, but it is a deep group of pass catchers who can move around the field. The Patriots’ passing offense ranked 22nd in expected points added per play, which measures the impact of each play based on the likelihood it increased an offense’s odds of scoring. It’s worth shaking things up by replacing Meyers and Smith with Smith-Schuster and Gesicki to see if they, along with returning offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, can make the unit more efficient.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
