New England Patriots’ Jonnu Smith Trade A Matter Of Cap Space Over Draft Capital

Before the NFL’s legal tampering window opened, the New England Patriots closed the window on a signing from free agency’s past.

The organization traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday in return for a 2023 seventh-round draft choice, as NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport first reported.

Ultimately, the arriving capital took a backseat to the departing contract.

Halfway through a four-year, $50 million agreement that included $31.25 million fully guaranteed, Smith totaled 55 receptions for 539 yards and one touchdown across 30 games while with New England. The Florida International product did so after totaling 114 receptions for 1,302 yards and 16 touchdowns across 60 games while a member of the Tennessee Titans.

The ability to break tackles and produce yards after the catch were seen in glimpses at a listed 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. Ten carries for 45 yards also were. But Smith’s run-blocking ability became his primary role in an offense featuring Hunter Henry atop the tight end depth chart.

As one veteran signing from March of 2021 proceeded to be targeted 83 times through two seasons, the other proceeded to be targeted 134 times, including 11 visits to the end zone.

The year before the tandem landed in Foxborough, no tight end room around the NFL totaled fewer receptions. No team had utilized the “12” personnel grouping with one running back and two tight ends less frequently, either.

Henry’s Patriots pact runs through 2023 with a cap number of $15.5 million. Scotty Washington and Matt Sokol, who were retained in January after stints on the practice squad, are also under contract at tight end.

It is a position to circle with 11 selections currently lying ahead in April’s well-stocked draft class. With six selections scheduled through four rounds, however, it was a position for head coach Bill Belichick and director of player personnel Matt Groh to circle before Monday’s trade.

Acquiring pick No. 245 overall did not change that expectation.

The stay spanned 19 starts for Smith. He played 47% of the offensive snaps during his initial campaign before seeing 40% last campaign, which began with $7.965 million of his base salary being converted into a signing bonus and ended among the inactives while in the league’s concussion protocol.

His upcoming cap hit checked in $17.228 million, per OverTheCap.com, with $6.25 million remaining in guaranteed salary.

A release would have resulted in lost cap space. But by finding a trade partner for Smith, who turns 28 in August, New England’s cap room increased by $3.668 million while freeing up $18.405 million for 2024, according to Miguel Benzan of PatsCap. Moving on leaves behind $12.81 million in dead money for 2023 and no dead money on the books from there.

That proved to be the route taken.

The No. 100 overall pick in the 2017 draft now reunites with his former tight ends coach and offensive coordinator, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, under reworked terms.

The exchange will be finalized once the new league year begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.