Insider Predicts Big-Name Patriots Vet is Cut by Week 1

As the New England Patriots are scheduled to report to training camp on Tuesday, the anticipation for the upcoming 2024 season has begun to grow. According to one Patriots insider, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, one player reporting on Tuesday might not be with the team after final cuts roll around:

"For a team intent on playing youngsters, it's hard to imagine the Patriots force-feeding a diminished veteran entering Year 8 as they embrace Year 1 of a rebuild. Ideally, Smith-Schuster rehabs some of his trade value by playing well in the preseason and the front office offloads him in a pick-swap trade. If not, I'd expect a one-way ticket to the chopping block."

- Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald

After coming up just short of a 1,000-yard receiving season in his one Super Bowl-winning season with the Kansas City Chiefs, JuJu Smith-Schuster was rewarded with a three-year, $33 million deal by Bill Belichick to join the Patriots in March 2023.

In his first season in Foxborough, Smith-Schuster was a shadow of his former self, only catching 29 passes for 260 yards and a lone touchdown. He hobbled through injuries, including a concussion and a lower-body injury that appeared to heavily hamper his explosiveness. As a result, he struggled to stay on the field and missed seven games in total.

Smith-Schuster was also intended to be a seamless replacement for Jakobi Meyers, who had been one of the Patriots most reliable pass catchers and had developed a strong rapport with former quarterback Mac Jones. Meyers signed nearly an identical deal with the Las Vegas Raiders while easily surpassing all of Smith-Schuster's totals.

The Patriots, preparing to enter their first season with a new offensive coordinator in Alex Van Pelt, directed substantial attention to upgrading their talent-deprived wide receiver room this past offseason. Eliot Wolf re-upped Kendrick Bourne on a three-year, $33 million contract extension and nabbed former Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn on a one-year deal. Through the draft, New England used their second pick on Washington receiver Ja'Lynn Polk and a fourth-rounder on UCF WR Javon Baker. Add second-year pro DeMario Douglas into that depth chart, and it feels like that position group has been constructed to move on without Smith-Schuster factoring in.

By cutting ties with Smith-Schuster, the Patriots would have to take on a dead cap hit of $9.6 million. The team's ample cap space ($41.4 million) would allow them to easily pull off that transaction.

Salvaging any semblance of a return would be optimal, but it feels unlikely that another team would be willing to sacrifice draft capital to take on Smith-Schuster and his contract, especially when all signs indicate that an interested team could pick him up on the open market if New England doesn't find a trade partner.

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