Jonnu Smith: 'Coach Belichick said he had a belief in me'

Jonnu Smith Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Jonnu Smith on signing with Patriots: 'Coach Belichick said he had a belief in me'

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 3/17/21

The New England Patriots struck gold this week by signing tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in free agency , among others. It appears head coach Bill Belichick was a big reason why at least one of those players chose to sign with the Patriots.

According to WEEI's Ryan Hannable, Smith told NFL Network on Wednesday that he had a nice conversation with Belichick before choosing to sign with the Pats.

New Patriots TE Jonnu Smith on NFL Network: "Coach Belichick said he had a belief in me. I have all the respect in the world for him. ... I am excited for the opportunity."

Said he hasn't spoken with Josh McDaniels yet, but did meet with the team before he was drafted.
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) March 17, 2021

After Tom Brady opted to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason, many suggested that players did not want to play for Belichick anymore and that Brady was the only reason players wanted to go to New England. Those comments surfaced again after Matthew Stafford reportedly said he'd accept a trade anywhere but New England.

Smith's comments suggest that those rumors are false and that Belichick still has a lot of pull with players. That can be seen with the other signings of Matthew Judon, Davon Godchaux, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, among others.

Belichick added Smith and Henry to address a need the franchise has had since Rob Gronkowski retired in 2018. New England's tight ends Ryan Izzo, Matt LaCosse, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene failed to get the job done in 2020, combining for 18 catches, 254 yards and one touchdown.

Smith alone caught 41 passes for 448 yards and eight touchdowns, both of which were career highs. His eight TDs also ranked fourth among tight ends.

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