NEW ARTICLE: Breer: Smith-Schuster’s Knee “A Mess,” May Affect WR Approach

[Zuma]

If your a player in the NFL…you have injuries. It’s a contact sport. If you don’t have an injury of some kind…that’s because you’re riding the bench. Everything Juju has done so far is fine by me. I’m looking forward to him growing more with the team.

 

[captain stone]

I am with you on this part. I am glad that Bill thinks Boutte and Douglas deserve to be on the field over Juju. What I don't like is he misevaluated Juju or signed Juju because Meyers got on his sh*t list for not buying into the Patricia experiment. In my eyes we could have had a proven, productive receiver and two promising rookies but instead, for the same money, we have a plodding overpaid receiver and two promising rookies.

Our top 5 this season should've been Hopkins, Bourne, Meyers, Douglas & Booty.

 

[Wozzy]

Looks fine to me...

 

[Wozzy]

Our top 5 this season should've been Hopkins, Bourne, Meyers, Douglas & Booty.

Hopkins hasn't practiced the last two days.

 

[StrawHatPatriot]

Looks fine to me...

Why are you always mischaracterizing what people are saying?

The point isn't that Schuster played like crap or anything.

It's that he saw limited snaps compared to two 6th round receivers, and was off the field in crunch time. After paying money for him in free agency.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Why are you always mischaracterizing what people are saying?

The point isn't that Schuster played like crap or anything.

It's that he saw limited snaps compared to two 6th round receivers, and was off the field in crunch time. After paying money for him in free agency.

There are three reasons or some combination JSS was not on the field at the end of the game.

1) health
2) didn't know the plays
3) the coaching staff didn't think he was better than the rookies

All 3 are not good reasons. All things being equal I hope as hell it is #1.

 

[rkarp1]

Why are you always mischaracterizing what people are saying?

The point isn't that Schuster played like crap or anything.

It's that he saw limited snaps compared to two 6th round receivers, and was off the field in crunch time. After paying money for him in free agency.

JuJu was brought in to make those catches and get both feet in bounds. yet he missed the entire 4th quarter. something does not add up.
health?
unfamiliar with the playbook (hard to believe)
staff thought Boutte was the better option? (also hard to believe)

 

[rkarp1]

There are three reasons or some combination JSS was not on the field at the end of the game.

1) health
2) didn't know the plays
3) the coaching staff didn't think he was better than the rookies

All 3 are not good reasons. All things being equal I hope as hell it is #1.

ha!
I did not see your post and said something very similar.

 

[jdlboot14]

Why is it so hard for people think critically?
I can objectively state that the more productive WR on this team, at this point, would have been to stick with Meyers.
It doesn't mean JSS won't make catches, or eventually turn into a decent contributor. But at this stage, after his no-show all offseason, and slow recovery from injury, and little time on-field to develop with Mac... the Patriots offense would have been better off with Meyers.
No one is saying Meyers is Hopkins. But, he was sure missed on the field last Sunday. No Parker, JSS plodding across the field, and 2 rookies...

Why can't fans be allowed to love the team, but also admit that BB makes some bad personnel decisions.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Why is it so hard for people think critically?
I can objectively state that the more productive WR on this team, at this point, would have been to stick with Meyers.
It doesn't mean JSS won't make catches, or eventually turn into a decent contributor. But at this stage, after his no-show all offseason, and slow recovery from injury, and little time on-field to develop with Mac... the Patriots offense would have been better off with Meyers.
No one is saying Meyers is Hopkins. But, he was sure missed on the field last Sunday. No Parker, JSS plodding across the field, and 2 rookies...

Why can't fans be allowed to love the team, but also admit that BB makes some bad personnel decisions.

Because they tend to mischaracterize the facts to fit a narrative in a short time frame.

Juju was available this off-season. He wasn’t available to practice in spring workouts because he was coming off of his surgery, but was available for classroom work and was available all training camp and caught more catches than any other WR in camp. There’s been no report on his health other than Callahan who says, “he’s not 100%” and Breer who said he had surgery but it could explode at any time, without any new reporting.

You could be right. It could have been a colossal blunder of a signing. Maybe Meyers would have been better in game 1. But most people don’t decide signings on one game, otherwise we’d say Antonio Brown was a raving success! So, can we wait and see how it turns out rather than declaring everyone who said it was a bad signing was correct after one game?

 

[TheRainMaker]

Let's wait until at least midseason before freaking out. It's only been one week. Juju was a bizarre signing, but I still don't think Meyers should've been retained because of his lack of YAC and DB's being able to take him out in man coverage.

Meyers had Adams for the defense to focus on, yet he only managed 9 yards per reception and a dreadful 1.9 in YAC.

 

[Bruins29]

Why is it so hard for people think critically?

Ironic since that is exactly what you are not doing here

Not only are you not taking into account it’s been one game but your are chastising those who are looking at it objectively since it’s only been one game and claiming they are not thinking critically

 

[n6249c]

We agree on the fact rookies seeing playing time is a good thing. What we don't agree on is the Juju for Jakobi swap. If they didn't want to project who would do what why not just pay Jakobi? They know what he brings, how he fits in the offense, and price wise wasn't far off from Juju.

You answered your own question. The reason to not pay (or, more correctly, to not OVERPAY) Jakobi is that they know what he brings and how he fits into the offense.

They let him go and signed Juju trying to improve the team. Because, they know what Jakobi brings. He offered no upside. He is what he is. Juju offered potential improvement and at the price point that was a decisive factor.

it’s too early to know how it will pan out. But this board never lets that stop a chance to panic.

 

[archstanton543]

Looks fine to me...

Maybe he agitated it on that play.

 

[203Pat]

You answered your own question. The reason to not pay (or, more correctly, to not OVERPAY) Jakobi is that they know what he brings and how he fits into the offense.

They let him go and signed Juju trying to improve the team. Because, they know what Jakobi brings. He offered no upside. He is what he is. Juju offered potential improvement and at the price point that was a decisive factor.

it’s too early to know how it will pan out. But this board never lets that stop a chance to panic.

So far it looks like it was another misevaluation on a wide receiver. I really hope Juju is more than he showed so far but he didn't practice in the spring and there weren't many glowing reports about him in the summer and week 1 he lost snaps to rookies. If they thought his upside was more than Jakobi's that could be a big swing and miss.

 

[203Pat]

Because they tend to mischaracterize the facts to fit a narrative in a short time frame.

Juju was available this off-season. He wasn’t available to practice in spring workouts because he was coming off of his surgery, but was available for classroom work and was available all training camp and caught more catches than any other WR in camp. There’s been no report on his health other than Callahan who says, “he’s not 100%” and Breer who said he had surgery but it could explode at any time, without any new reporting.

You could be right. It could have been a colossal blunder of a signing. Maybe Meyers would have been better in game 1. But most people don’t decide signings on one game, otherwise we’d say Antonio Brown was a raving success! So, can we wait and see how it turns out rather than declaring everyone who said it was a bad signing was correct after one game?

To me it is based on the fact we signed him when he wasn't fully healthy. When he was deemed "healthy" he didn't do much all summer. And now in week one he was "healthy" and played 50% of the offensive snaps. Then in week two he is "healthy" again. So if this is who we signed then so far it looks like we got Juju Smith-Sanu.

 

[amfootball]

Our top 5 this season should've been Hopkins, Bourne, Meyers, Douglas & Booty.

1000 percent this. We should have never cheaped out on Hopkins ... the juju signing could end up being of Bill's worst signings.

 

[mike_usagisan]

To me it is based on the fact we signed him when he wasn't fully healthy.

I thought I heard his contract is structured so he only gets paid a lot of if he reaches certain thresholds. They signed him knowing he was coming off an injury and getting surgery, so I'm betting they have some safeguards in there.

When he was deemed "healthy" he didn't do much all summer. And now in week one he was "healthy" and played 50% of the offensive snaps. Then in week two he is "healthy" again. So if this is who we signed then so far it looks like we got Juju Smith-Sanu.

He caught more passes than any other receiver all summer. But he wasn't reported making big plays by the media, so people think he didn't catch anything all summer.

Remember when people were questioning if Bourne would be productive because he was having some down days in camp? That's how it goes with WR. He might end up being Sanu again. He might end up needing to ramp up. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to wait and see.

 

[203Pat]

I thought I heard his contract is structured so he only gets paid a lot of if he reaches certain thresholds. They signed him knowing he was coming off an injury and getting surgery, so I'm betting they have some safeguards in there.

He caught more passes than any other receiver all summer. But he wasn't reported making big plays by the media, so people think he didn't catch anything all summer.

Remember when people were questioning if Bourne would be productive because he was having some down days in camp? That's how it goes with WR. He might end up being Sanu again. He might end up needing to ramp up. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to wait and see.

It is basically a 2 year $18 million deal with $16 million of that fully guaranteed. I am hoping he turns it around since it's still so early but that knee does make me nervous.

 

[mike_usagisan]

It is basically a 2 year $18 million deal with $16 million of that fully guaranteed. I am hoping he turns it around since it's still so early but that knee does make me nervous.

I agree 100%. I'm hoping they're just slowly ramping him up and keeping him on a pitch count, but as always with health in New England, who knows.