Did New England Patriots Make Tight End Trade Mistake?

After the New England Patriots traded disappointing Jonnu Smith, the tight end is flourishing with the Atlanta Falcons.

The New England Patriots' offense has been among the NFL's worst this season, ranking last in points per game (11) and  26th in yards (287).

Meanwhile, one of their former weapons - tight end Jonnu Smith - is flourishing with his new team. Traded away by Bill Belichick after being deemed a whiff in free agency, Smith leads the Atlanta Falcons with 21 catches and 246 yards. Last year in New England he produced only 245 yards.

Among Falcons with at least five targets, Smith's 77.8 percent catch rate trails only rookie sensation Bijan Robinson. His 11 first down receptions are tied with top receiver Drake London for the most on the team.

Smith is currently fifth in the NFL among tight ends in receiving yards and tied for eighth in catches, performing like the player New England thought it was getting in the spring of 2021.

The Patriots gave Smith a four-year, $50 million contract, but things simply didn't work out to the extent either side hoped, as he recorded 55 receptions for 539 yards and just one touchdown across two seasons. He failed to hit 30 catches in either of his two seasons.

And so, when Belichick decided to part ways with Smith last March, it made sense for both sides. But in retrospect, the trade may look worse than the initial contract.

Jonnu Smith has enjoyed a resurgence with the Atlanta Falcons / ClutchPoints

New England netted a late seventh-round draft selection in return, taking defensive back Isaiah Bolden at No. 245 out of 259 overall picks. Bolden enjoyed a breakout summer before suffering a serious head injury during the preseason and was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

But the story isn't about Bolden, who certainly has a chance to develop into a legitimate contributor for the Patriots once healthy.

Instead, it's that Smith is on pace to finish the season with 71 receptions for 836 yards, which would shatter previous career-highs of 41 and 448. He didn't reach 300 yards in either of his two seasons with the Patriots.

The Falcons are paying Smith only $15 million for 2023-24, according to OverTheCap, which is some $5 million less annually than New England tabbed him for during free agency.

So, did the Patriots make a mistake in trading Smith?

The easy answer may be yes. But in reality, the bigger mistake was the utilization - or lack thereof - of Smith during his time in the northeast.

Tight end Hunter Henry is New England's second-leading receiver in catches (17) and yards (176) and is tied for the team lead in touchdown grabs (two). The position still has value for Belichick's team, and it's not as if the Patriots are on bare on talent in lieu of Smith.

Nonetheless, there are bigger implications.

Smith's current career highs came in 2020. He may break those marks by Atlanta's mid-November bye week this season.

But the two years in between, he looked little like the player he's shown he can be, which may be more indicative of the structural state of New England's offense than any numbers can tell.

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