The New England Patriots are reportedly trading tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh-round draft pick. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the news on Monday.
This should basically be viewed as a salary cap dump for the Patriots considering Smith was expected to have the second-highest cap hit on the team in 2023, behind star outside linebacker Matthew Judon.
That hit was set at $17.2 million in a year where the Patriots are needing to clean the books to a certain degree to potentially make bigger moves in free agency.
Smith never caught on in New England, and a change of scenery could be a good thing for the veteran tight end. He finished the 2022 season with only 27 receptions for 245 yards and no touchdowns.
Sources: The #Patriots are trading TE Jonnu Smith to the #Falcons, as a former big-ticket free agent heads elsewhere and creates space for New England. pic.twitter.com/Cmeh0QJt1F
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2023
We are only two days away from the start of free agency, and the Patriots are positioning themselves to potentially make a splash.
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