Former Pro Bowl WR Dubbed Patriots' Biggest Roster Bubble Candidate

The New England Patriots will have some pressing decisions to make before next season.

Jun 12, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (7) makes a catch at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

With the beginning of NFL training camps sitting right around the corner, some big roster changes are bound to take place as teams start to slim down their rosters from a set of 90 players to a final set of 53. The New England Patriots will inevitably have some tough decisions to make on who makes the cut and who doesn't.

Those difficult choices may have to start at the wide receiver position in Foxboro. As things currently stand, the Patriots hold 12 players at the position heading into training camp, meaning this unit could slim down by almost half that size once Week One hits. A few surprising calls could be on the way, depending on how things shake out.

In a recent Sports Illustrated roundtable, I broke down who I viewed as the most notable player who could land on the Patriots' roster bubble in 2024-- that being JuJu Smith Schuster:

"After a bumpy first season in New England, Smith-Schuster potentially finds himself on the outside looking in for this Patriots roster just one year later. By drafting two receivers in Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, getting Kendrick Bourne back to full health, having second-year wideout Pop Douglas, and signing free agent K.J. Osborn, it may be a steep climb for Smith-Schuster to make the roster."

- Me

Entering the 2024 season Smith-Schuster's outlook with the Patriots looks a bit bleak just one year after joining the team. It's a combination of both a rocky start in New England due to lingering injury issues and the personnel alongside him in the WR core, but it wouldn't be a total shock to see him on a different roster come the first week of the year.

New England's wide receiver room is readily established with a few names ahead of Smith-Schuster that are set for a breakout or a bigger role in the offense. Pop Douglas led the team in reception yards last season as a 6th-round rookie, the front office just committed almost $20 million to Kendrick Bourne this offseason, along with two draft picks for new first-year wideouts.

That's a loaded group, and with other guys like 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thorton and offseason signee K.J. Osborn clawing for more snaps as well, the room for Smith-Schuster in the offense dwindles.

If JuJu can't make a notable impression in camp, New England could see what they can secure on the open market for him, and when considering his current contract status, it's much more likely for a trade to go down rather than a straight cut.

If cut, the Patriots would incur around $9 million in dead money, while a trade would give them $5 million in cap savings, per OverTheCap. New England has a lot of open cash on hand as is, but every dollar counts. Even if a late-day three pick is the return, it could not only free up some cap but also some playing time for this young receiving core.

Smith-Schuster is far from a bad option as a pass catcher and would be someone who would likely generate some intrigue from contenders around the league in a deal, but the Patriots have continued to show that they've invested more into the other options at their position through their free agency and draft decisions.

If the playing time, or production isn't there, parting ways could be the way to go for JuJu after just one year in New England.

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