JuJu Smith-Schuster Top Landing Spots

[Steeler Nation]

The Pittsburgh Steelers will let JuJu Smith-Schuster test the free agency market for the second season in a row. Last season it seemed very unlikely that Smith-Schuster would return to the team, but with the salary cap crippled because of COVID-19, his market was mostly dry. He ultimately decided to return to play with his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger one last time.

Injuries would derail Smith-Schuster’s season before it even got started. During a Week 5 win against the Denver Broncos, Smith-Shuster would be lost for the rest of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Of course we know Smith-Schuster beat the odds and made a surprising final start with the Steelers in their Wild Card game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But even before the injury, I’m taken back to comments he made prior to the 2021 season. Smith-Schuster wanted to play more outside instead of the slot. He mentioned as much in May during an interview with Tim Benz of the The Trib.

“You are going to get the whole package,” Smith-Schuster said, via Benz “I think the biggest thing that a lot of people are talking about is me playing outside. You’ll definitely see me playing outside more.”

This never came to fruition. Smith-Schuster from mini-camp to the regular season was a fixture in the slot. Now whether the Steelers told him he was going to be outside, or he just believed his request would be granted is unknown. Regardless, it’s likely he wasn’t happy with the Steelers decision on the matter.

Last season, it was reported that the Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs were his biggest suitors before returning to Pittsburgh. Both of those teams will likely be in the market again for a receiver, but the connection with Baltimore seems to have passed. Let’s take a look at the teams most likely to sign the veteran:

1. Dallas Cowboys​

The Cowboys recently released Amari Cooper, and will likely lose Michael Gallup to free agency this off-season. There were already rumblings from Smith-Schuster that he would love to catch passes from Dak Prescott, and he enjoyed their fancy locker rooms.

JuJu Smith-Schuster said at 7-Eleven event he’s “most likely” headed for free agency. On Dak Prescott: “He’s a great quarterback. Catching balls from him in a facility like this, I wouldn’t mind it. …The Steelers are still working on trying to get out of the wooden locker rooms” pic.twitter.com/fyuDPSpKE8

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) February 2, 2022

2. Kansas City Chiefs​

The obvious is that Smith-Schuster would love to play with Patrick Mahomes, who wouldn’t? There’s also the connection of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, and Smith-Schuster. The two were close enough last year that Reid texted Smith-Schuster trying to convince him to sign in KC. The Chiefs are likely to lose Byron Pringle during free agency, and could use a tough middle of the field receiver to replace him. They have the cap room to afford him too with $19 million available as of today.

“I think, just seeing K.C. and bro, Andy Reid was just calling me and he was sending me Lombardi Trophy pictures like constantly,” Smith-Schuster told Michael Irvin last spring after re-signing in Pittsburgh. “We had a good talk, so it would’ve been K.C. after the Steelers.”

With the Chiefs still looking, they’re likely to call Smith-Schuster again and see if he’s ready to make the jump. Could you imagine Jackson Mahomes, and Smith-Schuster in Kansas City? Okay, let’s not.

3. New England Patriots​

Would Smith-Schuster and Patriots coach Bill Belichick jive? Who knows, honestly, but Belichick wasn’t afraid to sign Cam Newton, so I doubt he’d be deterred from Smith-Schuster either. Least we know the latter can still play. The Patriots need to give Mac Jones a solid, dependable option, and they didn’t have that last season.

Crazy to have Coach Belichick, a legendary coach I’ve watched my whole life, come up to me after the game and tell me he respects my game and how I play!!!

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) December 17, 2018

So there appears to be the connection already with Smith-Schuster tweeting this out in 2018 after the Steelers were beat by the Patriots. Belichick also called him “elite, elite” during a press conference back in 2018 too.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said at the Combine that the team hasn’t shut the door on bringing Smith-Schuster back to Pittsburgh, but it’s obvious that Smith-Schuster wants to play somewhere with an established quarterback. All of those teams above have that, or have the potential in New England’s case.

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[Superman]

i'd suggest Jacksonville would be a landing spot too

 

[Steeltime]

I really, really, really hope he signs for 4 years, $80 million, plays every snap, catches 85 passes for 1200 yards.

Maybe, FINALLY, the Steelers get a 3rd round comp pick under the ultra-complicated, super-secret Rog "compensation" formula. I have hacked the Rog's computer and am the first non-league person to see the magic formula, which looks something like this (where "k" stands for contract, just like in law school):

(k dollars x # of years on k x GP) - 10,000,000 if team is Steelers/(league average k + round selected) x (# of Asian "massages" Kraft had this year)

The formula results in five 3rd round compensatory picks, awarded pursuant to the magic super-complex, super-secret formula in the following fashion:

#97: Patriots
#98-101: Draw seven team names from hat; eliminate Steelers. Draw four teams from the remaining, award spot in order name pulled from hat.

We can see why the NFL does not want to share this incredibly complex formula.

 

[bermudasteel]

I think I'm off the Juju train...

 

[livingthrudying]

The Pittsburgh Steelers will let JuJu Smith-Schuster test the free agency market for the second season in a row. Last season it seemed very unlikely that Smith-Schuster would return to the team, but with the salary cap crippled because of COVID-19, his market was mostly dry. He ultimately decided to return to play with his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger one last time.

Injuries would derail Smith-Schuster’s season before it even got started. During a Week 5 win against the Denver Broncos, Smith-Shuster would be lost for the rest of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Of course we know Smith-Schuster beat the odds and made a surprising final start with the Steelers in their Wild Card game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But even before the injury, I’m taken back to comments he made prior to the 2021 season. Smith-Schuster wanted to play more outside instead of the slot. He mentioned as much in May during an interview with Tim Benz of the The Trib.





This never came to fruition. Smith-Schuster from mini-camp to the regular season was a fixture in the slot. Now whether the Steelers told him he was going to be outside, or he just believed his request would be granted is unknown. Regardless, it’s likely he wasn’t happy with the Steelers decision on the matter.

Last season, it was reported that the Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs were his biggest suitors before returning to Pittsburgh. Both of those teams will likely be in the market again for a receiver, but the connection with Baltimore seems to have passed. Let’s take a look at the teams most likely to sign the veteran:

1. Dallas Cowboys​

The Cowboys recently released Amari Cooper, and will likely lose Michael Gallup to free agency this off-season. There were already rumblings from Smith-Schuster that he would love to catch passes from Dak Prescott, and he enjoyed their fancy locker rooms.

2. Kansas City Chiefs​

The obvious is that Smith-Schuster would love to play with Patrick Mahomes, who wouldn’t? There’s also the connection of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, and Smith-Schuster. The two were close enough last year that Reid texted Smith-Schuster trying to convince him to sign in KC. The Chiefs are likely to lose Byron Pringle during free agency, and could use a tough middle of the field receiver to replace him. They have the cap room to afford him too with $19 million available as of today.





With the Chiefs still looking, they’re likely to call Smith-Schuster again and see if he’s ready to make the jump. Could you imagine Jackson Mahomes, and Smith-Schuster in Kansas City? Okay, let’s not.

3. New England Patriots​

Would Smith-Schuster and Patriots coach Bill Belichick jive? Who knows, honestly, but Belichick wasn’t afraid to sign Cam Newton, so I doubt he’d be deterred from Smith-Schuster either. Least we know the latter can still play. The Patriots need to give Mac Jones a solid, dependable option, and they didn’t have that last season.




So there appears to be the connection already with Smith-Schuster tweeting this out in 2018 after the Steelers were beat by the Patriots. Belichick also called him “elite, elite” during a press conference back in 2018 too.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said at the Combine that the team hasn’t shut the door on bringing Smith-Schuster back to Pittsburgh, but it’s obvious that Smith-Schuster wants to play somewhere with an established quarterback. All of those teams above have that, or have the potential in New England’s case.

Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..

If Belichick really thought he was elite how come he didn't sign him when he was testing free agency and the patriots were on a crazy spending spree? He would not last half the season under Belichick. Notice how different Brady and Gronk were in Tampa? you see them in commercials everywhere, you see them on social media a lot. They genuinely seemed happier and like they were having fun. Who knows maybe i imagined it but it sure seemed like you saw and heard from them more once they were away from Belichick. We all know he is super strict and doesn't like attention drawn to anything. I don't see JuJu changing. Maybe Bill changes but i doubt it.