Best FA contracts for teams.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, New England Patriots
It’s easy to look at JuJu Smith-Schuster’s production in Kansas City and dismiss a lot of it as being a product of working in an offense designed by one of the best offensive minds in the history of football and executed by one of the greatest quarterbacks we’ve ever seen.
It would be fair, and probably why the market — and the Patriots — were able to secure him for a lot less than we typically see near 1,000-yard receivers go for.
At $8.5 million annually, Smith-Schuster signed for the same amount Russell Gage is contracted for with the Buccaneers. This type of money is complementary receiver money, and at less than four percent of the cap, it’s less than what Percy Harvin signed for … with the Bills.
As someone whose contract generally replicates Zay Jones’ with the Jaguars, Smith-Schuster doesn’t have a high bar to clear in order to provide value.
He fell below that bar in 2021 and 2019, but he has provided value well above that level of play most of his career. He has upside to be an elite receiver but does not need to hit that mark in order to be valuable at his contract number.
The contract does tie him to the team until 2025, but it’s not onerous, and the Patriots can get out from under it before the beginning of the 2025 season with very little pain.
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JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, New England Patriots
It’s easy to look at JuJu Smith-Schuster’s production in Kansas City and dismiss a lot of it as being a product of working in an offense designed by one of the best offensive minds in the history of football and executed by one of the greatest quarterbacks we’ve ever seen.
It would be fair, and probably why the market — and the Patriots — were able to secure him for a lot less than we typically see near 1,000-yard receivers go for.
At $8.5 million annually, Smith-Schuster signed for the same amount Russell Gage is contracted for with the Buccaneers. This type of money is complementary receiver money, and at less than four percent of the cap, it’s less than what Percy Harvin signed for … with the Bills.
As someone whose contract generally replicates Zay Jones’ with the Jaguars, Smith-Schuster doesn’t have a high bar to clear in order to provide value.
He fell below that bar in 2021 and 2019, but he has provided value well above that level of play most of his career. He has upside to be an elite receiver but does not need to hit that mark in order to be valuable at his contract number.
The contract does tie him to the team until 2025, but it’s not onerous, and the Patriots can get out from under it before the beginning of the 2025 season with very little pain.
2023 NFL Free Agency Best Contracts: Lamar Jackson, Geno Smith, and Orlando Brown Jr. Headline the Class
The best teams in the NFL strike it rich in free agency by finding bargains. We look at who secured the 2023 NFL free agency best contracts.
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