Analysis
3/13/23
2 min read
Report: Patriots Trade Jonnu Smith to Falcons
Tight end Jonnu Smith is reuniting with his former coach.
The New England Patriots are trading the tight end to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a seventh-round pick, NFL Media reported on Monday. Smith will rejoin his offensive coordinator from the Tennessee Titans, Arthur Smith, who is now the Falcons' coach.
The Falcons will restructure Jonnu Smith's contract, ESPN reported.
The tight end signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Patriots during the 2021 offseason. However, he never performed up to expectations with New England. During two seasons in Foxboro, he caught just 55 passes for 539 yards and one touchdown.
Smith did have great success working with Arthur Smith from 2019 to 2020 when Arthur Smith was the Titans' offensive coordinator. Jonnu Smith recorded 41 catches for 448 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020 and 35 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.
The Falcons are adding Jonnu Smith to a pass-catching group, including former first-round picks Drake London and Kyle Pitts. London had a strong rookie season, hauling in 72 passes for 866 yards and four touchdowns. Although Pitts is also a tight end, he lines up like a wide receiver, allowing Smith to play on the line of scrimmage.
The real question for Atlanta is who will be throwing the ball this season. The team has shown some confidence in 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder, but they also have the eighth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, putting them in striking distance of one of the draft's top passers.
For the Patriots, this move will clear up some cap room, allowing them to pursue free agents as the legal tampering window opens on Monday.
