Formerly a second-round selection by Pittsburgh, Smith-Schuster shared that playing for Belichick drew him to New England as an unrestricted free agent. The Pats wideout signed a three-year deal to upgrade quarterback Mac Jones’s supporting cast.
Although questions remain about the offensive firepower in New England, Smith-Schuster is confident that the Patriots have enough offensively to put points on the scoreboard.
When asked about the doubts outside the building, Smith-Schuster replied that the Patriots “most definitely” have enough playmakers to contend with playoff-caliber teams offensively.
“We’ve got guys who can run down the field. We’ve got guys that can do a lot of different things. What’s crazy about this offense that I didn’t even know about until I got here was that there’s guys that play both ways. There’s guys that can play receiver, that can play in the backfield. Seeing that you can have so many different weapons with these players, it gives Mac [Jones] opportunities to do whatever he wants.”
As for Smith-Schuster’s role and schematic fit in Bill O’Brien’s offense, New England is only in the early stages of the offseason program. But the veteran receiver described his playing style as “doing the dirty work.”
“I love blocking. I love doing the dirty work as far as going across the middle and catching the ball in traffic. Whatever Coach [Belichick] has me do, I’m willing to do. No questions asked.”
Along with his toughness between the numbers, the Patriots hope that Smith-Schuster will bring explosiveness after the catch. Over the years, the Pats wideout has averaged 5.4 yards after the catch per reception, forcing nine missed tackles with the Chiefs in 2022 as a ball carrier.
Despite coming from an elite offense in Kansas City, Smith-Schuster marveled at the intricacies of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s offense. Last season, coaches and players spoke about a “streamlined” offense. However, Smith-Schuster’s interpretation of O’Brien’s playbook…
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