Sports Final: Rapid fire thoughts on New England's moves in free agency
BOSTON -- Things calmed down a bit over the weekend after the Patriots made a slew of moves in free agency last week. But that's OK, it gave us all a chance to catch up a bit.
Or in WBZ-TV's case, it gave us a chance to check in with ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss about New England's moves. Reiss joined Steve Burton on Sunday night's Sports Final, and was met by several rapid fire questions regarding all the wheeling and dealing by the Patriots.
The biggest move by the Patriots was signing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal, shortly after losing free agent receiver Jakobi Meyers to the Las Vegas Raiders. Meyers was a fan favorite and loved inside the New England locker room, so many are wondering why the Patriots didn't simply bring Meyers back.
Reiss says that Smith-Schuster will bring a different dynamic to the New England offense, though the move does come with some risk.
"Jakobi was a great, smooth route-runner. But JuJu is a little bigger, more athletic, and more dynamic after the catch," said Reiss. "But he's also missed more time due to injuries. So it's a trade-off here and a little bit of a roll of the dice for the Patriots to make that trade-off."
New England also made a pretty big move at tight end, trading Jonnu Smith to the Falcons for a seventh-round pick while signing former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki. Smith was a huge disappointment after signing a four-year, $50 million deal with the Pats in 2021, catching just 55 passes and one touchdown over his two seasons in New England.
Bill Belichick acknowledged his mistake and shipped Smith out this offseason, and Gisecki should bring some more play-making to the tight end group in 2023.
"Gesicki is like a big slot receiver," said Reiss. "Pair him with Hunter Henry and hopefully you get what you thought you were getting with Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith."
The Pats also made a change at running back, signing former Jaguars and Jets running back James Robinson. That likely means that Damien Harris' time in New England is coming to an end, with Harris now testing the free agent waters.
Robinson brings in some injury concerns, but he also has a big chip on his shoulder.
"Robinson is an interesting story," said Reiss. "He was an undrafted free agent and light it up with the Jags in 2020. And he's a good pass-catcher. He was traded to the Jets after falling out of favor in Jacksonville, after coming off an Achilles injury, and was then injured again. He was never himself and fell out of favor in New York
"So he's motivated," added Reiss. "A guy spurned by the Jets coming to the Patriots, maybe he finds some common ground with Bill Belichick. A guy who wants to stick it to the Jets, so you can see why Bill liked him."
Belichick seems to really like New England's defense, bringing back most of the free agents from last year's squad. Devin McCourty's retirement leaves a big void on the field and in the locker room, but Reiss believes others already on the roster can help mitigate that loss.
While the Patriots have been making their moves, so has the rest of the AFC East. With Aaron Rodgers likely heading to the Jets, and with the Dolphins adding some help on defense with the acquisition of corner Jalen Ramsey, the outlook is still somewhat dim for the Patriots.
But Reiss isn't convinced that the Patriots will finish last in the division, as many pundits are predicting at this early point in the 2023 season.
"You've got Miami adding players. Buffalo lost players but they were the class of the division. A lot of people are saying the Patriots are fourth in the division, and that's possible. I'll put on my Lee Corso hat and say, 'Not so fast!' I don't think they're fourth just yet," said Reiss. "They have ground they need to make, but people are overlooking Bill O'Brien.
"He's such a key addition," Reiss said of the team's new offensive coordinator. "Last year was untenable. Bill O'Brien gives this offense a chance to get back on track."
Reiss also touches on a few new additions to the New England offensive line, and highlights the team's biggest need in the upcoming NFL Draft. Check it out in the video above, and tune in to Sports Final every Sunday night at 11:35 p.m. on WBZ-TV!
