10 NFL players on new teams who will shine in 2021

7. Jonnu Smith, Tight End, New England Patriots

This was a weird offseason for the New England Patriots. For the first time since 2008 they missed the playoffs and for the first time since 2000, they had a losing season. So naturally, head coach and primary decision maker Bill Belichick decided to completely abandon his style of team-building that had worked for two decades.

Belichick started to chase everyone in free agency and they gave huge contracts to Matt Judon, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, and many more. Not every one of those moves will work — and some surely deserve heavy criticism. However, there are some that will be great signings including the move to sign Jonnu Smith.

The former Tennessee Titans tight end was signed to a $50 million contract that spans four seasons. They also gave Hunter Henry a three-year, $37.5 million deal which is a bit confusing since they paid Smith so much, but apparently, Belichick wants to re-create the two tight end set he had with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez back in the day.

Henry could be a solid addition but there are concerns about his health. He’s missed less time in recent seasons, but there’s still a deep breath taken every time he goes down hard. As for Smith, he hasn’t missed a lot of games in his career and has been progressing every season in the league. He was able to haul in 41 passes for 448 yards and eight touchdowns in an offense that had A.J. Brown, Corey Davis, and Derrick Henry.

Now, he becomes arguably the No. 1 red zone target and one of the more reliable receivers in New England. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see his numbers increase significantly.