New England Signs Tight Ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry (86)
Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry (86). Photo by Manny Flores/CSM/Shutterstock (9238505ai)

The New England Patriots are emerging as the biggest spenders in the free agency so far. The Pats have signed several players, including tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry.

On Monday, New England inked Smith to a four-year, $50 million deal. The news was confirmed to ESPN by the player’s agent Drew Rosenhaus, who revealed that the contract also includes $31.25 million in guarantees.

Smith spent the previous four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, catching 114 passes for 1,302 yards and 17 touchdowns.

A day later, the Pats also added Henry, who spent the last season playing on a franchise tag with LA Chargers. The 26-year-old player, who has 2,322 receiving yards and 21 TDs in his career, reportedly signed a three-year, $37.5 million that comes with $25 million guaranteed.

It isn’t surprising that New England splashed money on tight ends since the franchise struggled to find contributors on the position since Rob Gronkowski retired after the 2019 season. The Patriots had the lowest production from TEs in the league in the last two years.

Besides bringing in Smith and Henry, the Pats also made a number of other moves. They signed wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, two-time Pro Bowler Matthew Judon, safety Jalen Mills, and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux among others.

Previously, New England also took care of their quarterback position for 2021. They re-signed former NFL MVP Cam Newton, who will return on another one-year deal.

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