Jonnu Smith had more important things to do during the New England Patriots’ voluntary organized team activities last offseason. He was a new father. He elected not to join his new team, eventually attending mandatory minicamp, where he suffered a hamstring injury that prevented him from seeing much time on the field.
So entering training camp, he ended up somewhat behind schedule. And it felt like he was playing catch-up for the entire season. He finished with 28 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown after signing a four-year, $50 million contract that made him tied as the third-highest tight end per year. (He is now tied for fifth-most per year.)
“I definitely missed a lot last year,” Smith said on Monday. “Minicamp, I had a thing, so my offseason was choppy. I had some great things like my baby girl being born, and I had some unfortunate setbacks as well. I definitely missed some quality time here, and I recognize how valuable that time is. And I’m just here to take advantage of that.”
The 26-year-old is in a particularly advantageous position to set himself up for success in 2022. He plans to attend OTAs and minicamp. But Smith was also a full participant in the first session while Hunter Henry was limited. That meant even more quality reps for Smith. And while he’s finding the experience valuable, he had no interest in criticizing his 13 teammates who were not on the field for Day 1 of OTAs.
“Everybody has their own routine,” he said. “Older guys have the right, as they should, to be here or not. That’s their right. But just for me, in my opinion, there’s such a great team-bonding element to it.
“Just being here, being around the guys and just building that chemistry. To me, that’s what it’s about. And I think if we can improve that, I think everything else on the field will take care of itself. I’m just a big believer, I’m seeing it. I’m seeing it coming to fruition. It’s good.”
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