Jonnu Smith Traded To ATL

Ed Hillel

Wants to be startin somethin
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2007
43,559
Here
Wait, someone took that contract??? Saves 4.4 million against the cap.

WIN

Edit - I guess he's restructuring with Atlanta
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,376
Probably a good move, but I'm disappointed. I thought he had real talent. Oh well. Onward.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,020
Oregon
Boy, I know I'm not alone in this, but I had such high hopes about that signing
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,850
So besides HH, what other TEs are in the building? Sokol?

Go draft Kuntz.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,468
Seems like the smart move, but man, I hate realizing losses. What a bad signing and utilization of a player.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
IDK if they didn't know how to use him that well. Felt like they ran several plays a game to just get him the ball like little screens and he just didn't deliver. Never felt like he could get open downfield. Obviously the Pats offense has been a mess during his career here, but he just didn't seem to be very good.
 

rodderick

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 24, 2009
12,751
Belo Horizonte - Brazil
Jonnu can't run any routes other than drags and he's simply not explosive enough with the ball in his hands to warrant the amount of designed touches it would take for him to be productive. Gadget player as a receiver.
 

deanx0

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2004
2,506
Orlando, FL
Look if Matt Patricia couldn't effectively use him as a weapon, what makes Atlanta think they have any shot at it?
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,463
So besides HH, what other TEs are in the building? Sokol?

Go draft Kuntz.
Only if they also draft somebody who can block. Otherwise you're just re-creating the same problem.

I like Jonnu, I think if he were your TE/FB paired with a TE who could block he might be good, he has skills, he occasionally flashed. Problem here was twofold:
1. We didn't design enough for him particularly year 2.
2. Hunter Henry was a much more polished receiving TE who could run every route, and the two of them couldn't really play together.
 

Mystic Merlin

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 21, 2007
46,769
Hartford, CT
I didn’t think they’d find a team to take his 6.25M guaranteed salary, which is how they’re realizing pre-June 1 cap savings that they couldn’t have if they cut him.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,376
Seems like the smart move, but man, I hate realizing losses. What a bad signing and utilization of a player.
Yep. Agreed. But here's the thing. You take a bunch of swings, and sometimes you're going to miss. It happens. Glad they were able to get something for him (the pick is largely irrelevant but the cap savings....$4.4 million isn't nothing).
 

jsinger121

@jsinger121
SoSH Member
Jul 25, 2005
17,676
Wouldn’t be shocked to see Smith look better in Atlanta if he’s lining up with Kyle Pitts on the field.
 

cornwalls@6

Less observant than others
SoSH Member
Apr 23, 2010
6,249
from the wilds of western ma
Disappointed that he didn’t pan out here. I was very bullish on his signing. Seemed like a perfect storm of the team overrating his skill set a little bit in the first place, and him being here at a time when the offense was a train wreck (2022, anyway). All things considered, I’m thrilled they were able to move him and get significant cap savings. Onward.
 

sezwho

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
1,952
Isle of Plum
Oh, thank you, Jeebus
Yeah, I’m happier for that 4mil and not seeing him look lost out there. As some intimated above, there is some chance he was also a victim of the terrible coaching situation: some players need that more than others for whatever reasons.
 

GB5

New Member
Aug 26, 2013
675
Saving 18 mill in cap space in 2024 is amazing given that he was a sunk cost. Plus Bill loves the 7th round and before this he had no 7th round pick.
 

CoffeeNerdness

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2012
8,714
Trading for a no-block TE when you already have Kyle Pitts seems dumb. The Smith and Smith reunion might be a short one.
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144
Such a bummer. He had playmaker abilities - just was a bad fit. Sucks there's still so much dead money on it - but whatever.
 

JM3

often quoted
SoSH Member
Dec 14, 2019
14,285
Trading for a no-block TE when you already have Kyle Pitts seems dumb. The Smith and Smith reunion might be a short one.
Seems like it could to lead to some fun offensive flexibility, especially if they have a 3rd competent TE, but it's probably not a great plan.

& yeah, good for the Pats to be able to cut their losses to some extent. Too bad it didn't work out.
 

Red Averages

owes you $50
SoSH Member
Apr 20, 2003
9,056
Any read through on timing of this with regards to free agency and increasing cap space? Or should we assume they are just happy with the extra space regardless of timing?
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,468
Pitts and Jonnub
Even more crazy when they barely used Pitts last year
well they didn’t really have a qB last year
Decent shot they get the #2 or 3 QB on the board and now they have 2 release valves for a young QB

(I’m bearish on Ridder, I think they upgrade)
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,463
Any read through on timing of this with regards to free agency and increasing cap space? Or should we assume they are just happy with the extra space regardless of timing?
I think when possible you want to simplify your cap calculations. If you know you can move Jonnu you do, so that you now know... "okay I have this much to play with, plus this much if I cut Henry".
Plus for ATL, I think they want to know going into FA if they have TE full.
 

astrozombie

New Member
Sep 12, 2022
394
I'll echo the sentiment that I was excited by the signing and disappointed it didn't work out. Part of me thinks he just wasn't worth it, part of me thinks that was exacerbated by being used poorly in the Matt Patricia offense.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,286
AZ

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,286
AZ
Saving 18 mill in cap space in 2024 is amazing given that he was a sunk cost. Plus Bill loves the 7th round and before this he had no 7th round pick.
One point to understand that part of the $18 million that they "save" in 2024 is about $6.4 million that was pro-rated signing bonus, which just got tacked on to the 2023 cap. In other words, the cap cost for Smith's bonus for 2023 just went from $6.4 million to $12.8 million. (The net number savings from 2023 comes from the fact that they don't have to pay him his salary and a roster bonus in 2023 now. But, of course, they don't have the player.)

It's just important to understand that when talking about a savings in one column for one year it's often because, dollar for dollar, the money got added to a different year's cap.

In this case, the Patriots are still paying $12.8 million for the bonus they paid to Smith. Just all this year. So, yes, the cap relief is great. But there is still a heavy cost.
 

Toe Nash

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 28, 2005
5,600
02130
IDK if they didn't know how to use him that well. Felt like they ran several plays a game to just get him the ball like little screens and he just didn't deliver. Never felt like he could get open downfield. Obviously the Pats offense has been a mess during his career here, but he just didn't seem to be very good.
I agree, he just sucked and there wasn't really that much to get excited about when he was signed other than the big number (so BB must have big plans for him!). One of the worst signings BB has ever made.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,100
I'll echo the sentiment that I was excited by the signing and disappointed it didn't work out. Part of me thinks he just wasn't worth it, part of me thinks that was exacerbated by being used poorly in the Matt Patricia offense.
He wasn’t very good in the McDaniels offense either
 

RG33

Certain Class of Poster
SoSH Member
Nov 28, 2005
7,199
CA
Moving on from and owning a bad decision. Strong leaders do that.

We’re on to HH and the 1st round pick!