Pats sign JuJu Smith-Schuster

jodyreeddudley78

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It's not just this; Meyers has been more efficient than Smith-Schuster on a per-target basis over the last four years.
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I know this has been said, but YAC really is the difference maker between the two WRs. Jakobi was targeted more than JuJu per route, and got more yards per route than JuJu. A big reason for that is that JuJu's ADot is so low, so it would seem that KC used him as a threat underneath, close to the LoS. He kind of makes more sense as a Bourne replacement than a Meyers replacement.

I think the signing is a net positive if NE can acquire a legit threat for further down field. Or maybe if Thornton takes a *massive* step forward. Either way, this feels like a first move, not a final one with the WR corp.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Best 3 seasons:

JuJu:
2018: 111 rec, 1,426 yds, 12.8 y/c, 7 td
2017: 79 rec, 917 yds, 15.8 y/c, 7 td
2022: 78 rec, 933 yds, 12.0 y/c, 3 td

Jakobi:
2021: 83 rec, 866 yds, 10.4 y/c, 2 td
2022: 67 rec, 804 yds, 12.0 y/c, 6 td
2020: 59 rec, 729 yds, 12.4 y/c, 0 td

JuJu is better, but it's reasonably close. Given the matched salaries, this probably represents a slight improvement for the Pats. Not a major one, but still...some improvement is better than none, especially if the $$ is the same.
Flipside:

Big Ben with Antonio Brown on the other side
Big Ben with Antonio Brown on the other side
Mahomes with Travis Kelce in the middle

Cam Newton with umm, Damere Byrd on the other side?
Mac with ohh, forget it
rookie Mac with Kendrick Bourne on the other side

If JuJu is expected to be the #1 option this season, this season is going to look like last season.
 

Deathofthebambino

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We are both in agreement that the Pats ought to work pretty hard to get a better WR1.
Yes sir, which is why I'd give up a 2nd right now for Hopkins, and I'm not a huge Dhop guy anymore.

We still have a mess at tight end...and well, we're assuming there will be people making blocks in front of Mac.
 

Van Everyman

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Given that we’re talking about somebody BOB prefers for his scheme, I trust him on Juju.

Everyone seems to be in agreement that they need a true number one. I get that everybody wants “good value,” etc. but how would people feel if they gave up their 1st for Jerry Jeudy?
 

Cellar-Door

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One thing I would say.... I think they need a primary playmaker who defenses need to key on..... it doesn't have to be a WR though. Most of the Superbowl era we had our difference makers at TE, much like the Chiefs this year.
If they think one of the TEs in this year's draft is that guy that opens up a lot of possibilities, since you could be looking at that guy in the 2nd,
 

Deathofthebambino

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Given that we’re talking about somebody BOB prefers for his scheme, I trust him on Juju.

Everyone seems to be in agreement that they need a true number one. I get that everybody wants “good value,” etc. but how would people feel if they gave up their 1st for Jerry Jeudy?
I wouldn't give up a 1st for Jeudy, but I'd give up a 2nd this year, and a 3rd next year, for Jeudy and say a 5th back next year or something.
 

Deathofthebambino

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One thing I would say.... I think they need a primary playmaker who defenses need to key on..... it doesn't have to be a WR though. Most of the Superbowl era we had our difference makers at TE, much like the Chiefs this year.
If they think one of the TEs in this year's draft is that guy that opens up a lot of possibilities, since you could be looking at that guy in the 2nd,
Rookie tight ends don't have that kind of impact though, so you'd probably be looking at a regurgitation of 2023 offensively, and then hope they become that guy in year 2.

Here's the list of rookie tight ends that have had more than 895 yards receiving:

Mike Ditka
Kyle Pitts.

Neither Gronk nor Hernandez reached 600 yards as rookies. Travis Kelce was drafted 63rd overall and didn't play as a rookie, and then had 862 yards and 875 yards in years 2 and 3.

Knowing how you feel about Mac, this is a recipe for not good things. I like the idea of drafting a tight end for the future, because God knows we fucking need one, but it'll have to be a unicorn to make a major impact offensively this season.
 

RedOctober3829

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Rookie tight ends don't have that kind of impact though, so you'd probably be looking at a regurgitation of 2023 offensively, and then hope they become that guy in year 2.

Here's the list of rookie tight ends that have had more than 895 yards receiving:

Mike Ditka
Kyle Pitts.

Neither Gronk nor Hernandez reached 600 yards as rookies. Travis Kelce was drafted 63rd overall and didn't play as a rookie, and then had 862 yards and 875 yards in years 2 and 3.

Knowing how you feel about Mac, this is a recipe for not good things. I like the idea of drafting a tight end for the future, because God knows we fucking need one, but it'll have to be a unicorn to make a major impact offensively this season.
Might be worth it to get someone like Schultz or Mike Gesicki and draft a TE to develop.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Might be worth it to get someone like Schultz or Mike Gesicki and draft a TE to develop.
I actually like Schultz as a receiver quite a bit. I can't speak to his run blocking though, and unfortunately, with Hunter Henry, we need to find someone who can block. I liked Gesicki out of the draft, but he's been given every opportunity to produce and just...doesn't for some reason. You'd have though with Waddle and Hill on that team last year, there would have been plenty of opportunity for him to get wide open, but he digressed a lot.

Interestingly, I think Gesicki and Schultz both played 1 year deals last season, both for exactly $10,931.00 which seems like such an odd number. Curious to see what they get this offseason.
 

Cellar-Door

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I actually like Schultz as a receiver quite a bit. I can't speak to his run blocking though, and unfortunately, with Hunter Henry, we need to find someone who can block. I liked Gesicki out of the draft, but he's been given every opportunity to produce and just...doesn't for some reason. You'd have though with Waddle and Hill on that team last year, there would have been plenty of opportunity for him to get wide open, but he digressed a lot.

Interestingly, I think Gesicki and Schultz both played 1 year deals last season, both for exactly $10,931.00 which seems like such an odd number. Curious to see what they get this offseason.
they both played on the tag.
 

Reggie's Racquet

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One thing I would say.... I think they need a primary playmaker who defenses need to key on..... it doesn't have to be a WR though. Most of the Superbowl era we had our difference makers at TE, much like the Chiefs this year.
If they think one of the TEs in this year's draft is that guy that opens up a lot of possibilities, since you could be looking at that guy in the 2nd,
Bill never drafts running backs in the first round nor do many others but Bijan Robinson lining up all over would bring that dimension alongside of Rham.
 

j44thor

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I actually like Schultz as a receiver quite a bit. I can't speak to his run blocking though, and unfortunately, with Hunter Henry, we need to find someone who can block. I liked Gesicki out of the draft, but he's been given every opportunity to produce and just...doesn't for some reason. You'd have though with Waddle and Hill on that team last year, there would have been plenty of opportunity for him to get wide open, but he digressed a lot.

Interestingly, I think Gesicki and Schultz both played 1 year deals last season, both for exactly $10,931.00 which seems like such an odd number. Curious to see what they get this offseason.
McDaniel said from about the day he joined MIA that Gesicki would be phased out of the offense. That was the least surprising outcome from last season. Gesicki is a TE in name only and played the big slot role in MIA until last year. Gesicki even said playing inline was new to him last year. What was odd was MIA franchising him to basically put him on the shelf for the season. He went from a career high 72% snap share in 2021 to a 45% snap share in 2022.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Bill never drafts running backs in the first round nor do many others but Bijan Robinson lining up all over would bring that dimension alongside of Rham.
I could also see them trading down from 14, picking up more picks in the process, and taking Jahmyr Gibbs later in the first round. He'd provide the receiving back that they lack and he played for BOB last year.
 

Otis Foster

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Bill never drafts running backs in the first round nor do many others but Bijan Robinson lining up all over would bring that dimension alongside of Rham.
Sony Michel? 31 counts as a first (barely).

Edit; RG33 got there first. Arthritic hands move slowly, if at all.
 

Justthetippett

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Sony Michel? 31 counts as a first (barely).

Edit; RG33 got there first. Arthritic hands move slowly, if at all.
I don't think the time has come to depart from the orthodoxy on drafting RBs later. They've been successful at that (along with the rest of the league). I'd be very surprised if they drafted anything other than a CB, OT or WR in Rd 1.
 

Ralphwiggum

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I like the move because I think JuJu has a higher ceiling and can bring a dimension to the offense they were lacking with the YAC. But it isn’t a huge upgrade and agree with others that neither Meyers nor JuJu are #1’s and if we go into the season with him as the primary receiver it is going to be a long year.
 

leftfieldlegacy

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I know this has been said, but YAC really is the difference maker between the two WRs. Jakobi was targeted more than JuJu per route, and got more yards per route than JuJu. A big reason for that is that JuJu's ADot is so low, so it would seem that KC used him as a threat underneath, close to the LoS. He kind of makes more sense as a Bourne replacement than a Meyers replacement.
Given this, I could see BOB designing running plays out of the backfield for JuJu similar to those that SF uses for Deebo.
 

lars10

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I like the move because I think JuJu has a higher ceiling and can bring a dimension to the offense they were lacking with the YAC. But it isn’t a huge upgrade and agree with others that neither Meyers nor JuJu are #1’s and if we go into the season with him as the primary receiver it is going to be a long year.
I have similar feelings.. I don't have anything to really base it on, but it's felt like Meyers has hit his ceiling and is what he is.. I've felt like Juju has underperformed as a Chief... and that was before he was traded to the Pats.
 

AlNipper49

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I have similar feelings.. I don't have anything to really base it on, but it's felt like Meyers has hit his ceiling and is what he is.. I've felt like Juju has underperformed as a Chief... and that was before he was traded to the Pats.
This is where I'm at, and I love Meyers. He's been productive but he's never really had a game where I felt all eyes were on him. That's not a criticism, but I'm not sure he's an elite difference maker. I think if Juju can have his production AND have a game or two where he thinks and acts like he's The Man, then we'll be pretty ok with this move.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Not being able to beat man or press is a problem when you're on a team that doesn't have anyone that can do it. Defenses will simply line up in man, not double anyone and take away short stuff by getting all up in their grill.

Kind of like last year. You need a #1 in today's game, db's are just too good, too fast and too athletic to let a #2 masquerading as a #1 beat them on the regular.

You put a #1 on this team, and turn JuJu into a #2, and then have Bourne/Parker out there as a third option depending on matchups, and you have something you can work with. Putting Juju at #1, and Bourne/Parker at #2 and #3, along with Hunter Henry and whoever, and we're back in the same place.

I like the Juju move as a replacement for Meyers (I was never as high on Meyers as most, but I also thought he'd get way more money), but this offense needs some real playmakers, a la Juju before his injuries.
 

lars10

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Not being able to beat man or press is a problem when you're on a team that doesn't have anyone that can do it. Defenses will simply line up in man, not double anyone and take away short stuff by getting all up in their grill.

Kind of like last year. You need a #1 in today's game, db's are just too good, too fast and too athletic to let a #2 masquerading as a #1 beat them on the regular.

You put a #1 on this team, and turn JuJu into a #2, and then have Bourne/Parker out there as a third option depending on matchups, and you have something you can work with. Putting Juju at #1, and Bourne/Parker at #2 and #3, along with Hunter Henry and whoever, and we're back in the same place.

I like the Juju move as a replacement for Meyers (I was never as high on Meyers as most, but I also thought he'd get way more money), but this offense needs some real playmakers, a la Juju before his injuries.
Yeah.. they definitely need to add another elite receiver and I assume we’re also adding a TE.
 

Zincman

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Even if Juju is only a slight upgrade over Jakobi (and I think he is) we should be aware that marginal differences are not to be sneezed at, especially in a league structured to promote parity.
 

radsoxfan

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Best 3 seasons:

JuJu:
2018: 111 rec, 1,426 yds, 12.8 y/c, 7 td
2017: 79 rec, 917 yds, 15.8 y/c, 7 td
2022: 78 rec, 933 yds, 12.0 y/c, 3 td

Jakobi:
2021: 83 rec, 866 yds, 10.4 y/c, 2 td
2022: 67 rec, 804 yds, 12.0 y/c, 6 td
2020: 59 rec, 729 yds, 12.4 y/c, 0 td

JuJu is better, but it's reasonably close. Given the matched salaries, this probably represents a slight improvement for the Pats. Not a major one, but still...some improvement is better than none, especially if the $$ is the same.
I would not gloss over the years here... 2019, 2020, 2021 happened and there is a reason JuJu was so cheap last season.

The upside for JuJu is real and he's only 26, but it's a big deal that his best seasons are 5 years ago.
 

Super Nomario

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I think this a slight downgrade from Meyers but he's also cheaper, so I'm fine with it. They need to do more with the passcatchers for sure, whether that's WR or TE or both.
 

bigq

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I think could explode at any point describes just about every person who plays in the NFL.
 

Bowhemian

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WTF kind of reporting is that? His knees could explode? WTF does that mean.

oh, and of course his knees could be perfectly fine.

You know what could also happen? BB could call me to come play linebacker
 

Mystic Merlin

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Dov Kleiman fucking sucks, he essentially tweets anything remotely provocative that he can slap a reporter’s name to. I vividly recall how last December he spun up some shit about McDaniels getting canned but omitted the dismissive reports from the LV beat reporters laughing at that suggestion.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Just posted because multiple outlets have picked up on Breer's "reporting" and its likely to be a Patriots narrative this week.

Are knee explosions common? If so, what are we doing about it? We need big knee to take responsiblity!
 

Section15Box113

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Plus, didn’t Breer put this out a week or so ago? Or longer? Not sure why it’s trending everywhere today.

Even weirder since Juju has already come out and addressed it:

"I don't think my knee is a ticking time bomb," he told Mass Live's Karen Guregian on Wednesday. "If anything, it's something that's getting stronger every day."

And:

"From the clean up surgery, and traveling to Japan after the Super Bowl, I needed some time," he explained. "There was some swelling after a six-hour flight, but it's good now. It feels great. I haven't missed practice since (training camp started)."

Maybe there’s something to be concerned about. Maybe not. But the hysteria around it today on the interwebs is certainly impressive.
 
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