New England Patriots: Jonnu Smith due for an offensive explosion

As the first big free agent to sign with the New England Patriots this offseason, athletic tight end Jonnu Smith has yet to live up to the money.  But perhaps his time is coming soon.  Really soon.

With just 15 catches for 115 yards through the first five games of the 2021 NFL season, Smith hasn’t been any better than the tight ends of a season ago.  He has shown a flash here or there, but his dropped passes have been more memorable than his highlights.

That isn’t the Jonnu Smith the Patriots envisioned when they signed him to a 4-year, $50,000 contract to start Bill Belichick’s free agent frenzy to start the NFL new league year.

New England Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith has the tools to be special

As a player with the size and athleticism to do many different things on the field, there was excitement surrounding the addition of Smith.  Perhaps some over excitement considering it does take players some time to fit into the Patriots scheme, especially on the offensive side of the football.

Although Matt Judon has made an instant impact, the other big free agent signings have also started slow out the gate. That seems to be changing as wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and fellow tight end Hunter Henry have been coming on as of late as they are forming chemistry with rookie quarterback Mac Jones.  If they can get Smith in the mix, the New England Patriots offense could be on to something.

Speaking of Henry, he feels his teammate is on the verge of a breakout on the field.

"“He’s going to come on,” Henry said, via MassLive.com. “So I’m excited to see him break out… he works extremely hard at what he does, so I think he’s going to continue to keep coming.”"

Will that come as soon as Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys?

Well, he is certainly due, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels draws up plays to get him into the flow early in the game.  Once he gets some confidence going, the big plays will come and that should open things up even more for Jones and playmakers like Henry, Bourne, Nelson Agholor and even N’Keal Harry.

While the number have not been there so far, it doesn’t mean Jonnu Smith hasn’t brought a certain type of energy to the team.  As Henry highlighted as attributes of his teammate, it is Smith’s hard work and personality that really stands out.  Eventually, that will pay off in the games like it has been with Judon on the defensive side of the football.

"“He’s been fantastic. He’s a stud, man,” Henry continued. “He’s fun to be around. Works his tail off and there’s a lot of competition in the room. Always trying to compete with each other — against our guys and on the field. I think it’s a healthy room where we’re always trying to better ourselves, communicate better. So those things are continuing to improve.”"

If that energy off the field continues and Smith keeps his head high, the results will come.  Once Smith starts making plays consistently, this New England Patriots offense will really start to take off.