Tom E. Curran on the Patriots' draft
When the newest member of the New England Patriots meets the media in Foxboro, you expect tones of optimism and hope to be struck. Heck, any time someone is starting a new job you’d expect to hear about what a positive experience it’s going to be, not an overt sense of dread. The prize of the Patriots’ free agent class brought exactly the right vibe on Tuesday.
Speaking in-person with members of the local media for the first time, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster brought a very upbeat and positive outlook on everything he’s experienced thus far. He said all the right things, hitting on an array of topics from working with the coaches, hooking up with Mac Jones, going to Celtics games and most importantly what this team can be capable of.
Asked what brought him here, the now-seven-year veteran said, “Honestly, Bill, man. He’s a great head coach.”
He could have been candid about the money they offered (three years, $25.5 million with $16 million fully guaranteed), as Matthew Judon was a few years ago when he famously said he didn’t pick the Patriots, “They chose me.” But Smith-Schuster, who has a reputation as a great teammate, chose the right words. Though he didn’t speak much to Belichick during the recruiting process, he knew about him from past encounters and believed the Pats coach respected him.
“One thing I’ve learned playing against Bill is that if he ever double-teams you, obviously you’re a key player in his eyes,” Smith-Schuster said.
While he said he hasn’t had a chance to throw with Mac Jones yet, he offered compliments aplenty, which ring familiar to those offered frequently by teammates and opponents.
“His work ethic is hard. Very hard working guy. Very, very smart at what he does, working on his craft. And for Mac the sky’s the limit,” Smith-Schuster said.
As for what playing with Patrick Mahomes and being a part of a Super Bowl-winning team last season with the Chiefs taught him?
“Learning what it takes to build chemistry, and learning what it takes to build from the ground up,” he said.
The Pats and their offense certainly may look to that as they are in rebuilding mode after a subpar 2022 campaign.
There haven’t been any occasions for receiver sessions with his new teammates, though he noted Phase Two of the voluntary offseason workouts is underway so he expects the work soon. But he has had a chance to hang out and bond, going bowling with the team and seeing Kendrick Bourne win easily – “He got a nice little spin.”
And when asked if they have enough talent to score and support Mac, Smith-Schuster enthusiastically offered, “What's crazy about this offense that I didn’t know about until I got here is that there’s guys who play both ways. There’s guys that can play receiver, guys that can play in the backfield…It just gives Mac opportunities to do what he wants.”
He called the playbook “amazing” and said he’s studying a lot and that the hard work he has to put in is benefiting him: “Every day I’m growing a lot.” And of his new fanbase? After attending Monday night’s Celtics game (we won’t go into how the C’s blew it to the Sixers) he said of the Boston fans, who he’s been on the opposite side of for years, “The fanbase here is nuts. I can’t wait to see what it’s like in camp or the season.”
Smith-Schuster is already making a positive impact with his energy and team-forward approach, which is exactly what’s needed here. And whether or not his optimism is warranted at this early juncture his outlook is exactly what fans and teammates need and want to hear after last season.
“I think that with the guys that we have, and all the weapons, it’s gonna be a fun year,” he said.
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