Jonnu Smith seemed to be trending in the perfect direction. As his career continued to steadily rise, he had a spectacular year with the Miami Dolphins. However, he was traded immediately afterward as the team sought some defensive help.
Unfortunately, the season with the Pittsburgh Steelers hasn’t done him any favors. After one of his worst years yet, the former third-round pick still hasn’t found a new home in the NFL and continues to sit in free agency.
The Jonnu Smith Landing Spots
Drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2017, Smith had a slow start to his career with the franchise, but quickly became a more efficient player, as he neared 500 yards in back-to-back seasons.
But a free agency move to the New England Patriots served as a major regression for him, as he failed to hit 300 yards during his two years with the franchise. However, a trade to the Atlanta Falcons showed that the veteran still had some quality football in him.
By recording 582 receiving yards, he caught the eye of the Dolphins, who signed him to a two-year, $8.4 million contract. He proved his worth immediately, putting together a spectacular campaign with 884 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
But the move to the Steelers spelled his demise. With Aaron Rodgers far removed from his prime, the opportunities for Smith were few and far between. As a result, he ended the season with less than 300 yards on his resume.
However, just one year removed from being ranked at number three on PFSN’s TE Impact Metric, the talent level is still there. As a result, for a lot of teams in desperate need of a tight end option, he could serve as the ideal threat.
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1) Denver Broncos
Under head coach Sean Payton, the Denver Broncos have already shown their willingness to bring in veteran tight end help for quarterback Bo Nix. Last year, it came in the form of Evan Engram, but he was far from the answer for them.
Smith could be that solution, as he’s already proven his worth in the right system. Moreover, without a true superstar pass catcher on the offense, the Broncos are going to hope that the sum of their parts can be greater than the whole.
Adding Smith would fit that mindset and give them a veteran talent that could significantly bolster their depth.
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2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It has been an offseason of change for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after parting ways with franchise icon Mike Evans. As a result, the offense is going to have a new look to it, as Baker Mayfield remains without a contract beyond this year.
While they have quality options at wide receiver, the tight end room is wafer-thin. Cade Otton, for all his promise, hasn’t been a consistent enough contributor for the Bucs. As a result, a veteran presence like Smith could be the perfect one-year rental for them.
3) Cincinnati Bengals
Defense was, and remains, the biggest weakness for the Cincinnati Bengals. But outside of an elite one-two punch at the wide receiver spot, maybe the best in the entire NFL, Joe Burrow does not have a lot of solid pass-catching options.
Smith would fix that in a heartbeat, and an accurate quarterback is the perfect recipe for success for the FIU product. As they try to get back into the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, they’re going to need all the help they can get, and a veteran like Smith might be a smart choice for the franchise.
