Report: JuJu Smith-Schuster is ‘not presently among the team’s five most effective pass-catchers’
Smith-Schuster's position on the depth chart is reportedly on shaky ground.
JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t receive the kind of workload expected of a No. 1 receiver on Sunday during the Patriots’ season-opening loss to the Eagles.
He played 43 of New England’s 80 offensive snaps. Rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte played more than that. And, those numbers came in a game that DeVante Parker missed entirely.
On Tuesday, receivers coaches Troy Brown and Ross Douglas said that Smith-Schuster’s playing time was matchup-based. It was dependent on the personnel packages they were using.
If that’s the case, then why didn’t the Patriots coaches feel comfortable using more packages that involved Smith-Schuster, particularly at key points late in the game?
It’s not a conditioning issue, coach Bill Belichick said Monday.
According to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, the issue is effectiveness. He wrote in a recent column that “multiple team sources believe Smith-Schuster is not presently among the team’s five most effective pass-catchers.”
Part of the problem is that Smith-Schuster’s knee is not 100 percent healthy, Callahan wrote.
The Patriots needed a receiver that could rack up yards after the catch, and Smith-Schuster appeared to be that guy on paper. But, so far through training camp and the regular-season opener, he hasn’t consistently showcased those abilities with the Patriots.
Earlier this month, Smith-Schuster pushed back on a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that said the receiver’s knee was “a mess.” Smith-Schuster said he feels like his knee is “getting stronger every day.”
Patriots coach Bill Belichick referred to the injury report when asked about Smith-Schsuter’s health.
According to Callahan, Parker is expected to start when he returns from his injury, while Smith-Schuster will battle with rookies DeMario Douglas and Boutte for spots in three-receiver packages.
Smith-Schuster did have some production during Sunday’s game. He caught four passes on seven targets for 33 yards.
While Boutte had a pair of targets in clutch situations at the end of the game, he didn’t have any catches. Douglas’s production was similar to Smith-Schuster’s: 4 catches on seven targets for 40 yards.
It’s too early to call Smith-Schuster’s snap count a pattern after just one game. But, it is something that raises questions for the guy who was signed to replace Jakobi Meyers.
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