Jonnu Smith News

The New England Patriots have traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons in return for a seventh-round pick, Ian Rapoport reports. The Patriots made waves just two off-seasons ago when they signed tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry to market-setting free agent deals on back-to-back days to open free agency, but whereas Henry found a near-every-down role in the team's offense, Smith struggled to find the field. The former Tennessee Titan will now join a Falcons team led by the offensive coordinator from his time in Tennessee, Arthur Smith. Smith never fully caught on with the Patriots, but his elite athleticism at the position did yield and 8-touchdown, 448-yard season in his final year in Tennessee. He should help provide depth at the position as Kyle Pitts recovers from the knee injury that ended his 2022 campaign.

The move frees up cap space for the Patriots, while leaving Hunter Henry as the team's clear-cut top tight end ahead of free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Smith is in line to provide the Falcons with an experienced pass-catching option to work behind starting TE Kyle Pitts. This past season, -- his second with New England -- Smith recorded 27 catches on 38 targets for 245 yards in 14 games.

Since signing a four-year, $50,000,000 deal with the Patriots that runs through the 2024 season, Smith's fantasy impact has been modest, while working in a tight end time-share that has tilted in favor of Hunter Henry, whose deal with the team goes through 2023. In that context, Smith's weekly lineup utility next season figures to be limited to deeper leagues, though in the event that Henry is sidelined at any point, Smith -- who missed time down the stretch in 2022 due to a concussion -- could yield dividends as a streaming option.

New England Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith (concussion) will not play in Week 18's contest versus the Buffalo Bills. Smith will not be active for New England's final game after he was ruled out with a concussion. Expect Hunter Henry to see more targets against a Buffalo defense allowing 6.4 FanDuel points per game to tight ends. Henry's current projection includes 2.9 receptions for 31.6 yards on 4.4 targets.

That's now two consecutive games Smith will miss after suffering a concussion Week 16 against the Bengals. Expect Hunter Henry to see more work with the veteran tight end unavailable. The 28-year-old tallied five receptions and 52 yards in last week's win over the Dolphins with Smith sidelined.

Smith, who didn't play in the team's Week 17 win over the Dolphins, thus has a chance to suit up this weekend, though if he does he'd profile as a hit-or-miss fantasy option while working in tandem with fellow tight end Hunter Henry. In 14 games to date, Smith has caught 27 of his 38 targets for 245 yards and has yet to record a TD this season.