Not that we thought it would be any different, but it increasingly looks like JuJu Smith-Schuster will take a walk during the NFL’s free agency period that begins March 17 at 4 p.m. ET.
Below is a list of spaces where Smith-Schuster could end up.
3 LA chargers
Smith-Schuster would be practically at home if the Chargers gave him an offer he couldn’t turn down. Born and raised in Long Beach, much of the recipient’s family lives in Cali. Not to mention, there is no better place than LA to build your brand. And who wouldn’t want to be at the end of Justin Herbert’s rookie of the year passes? This is a perfect setting for Smith-Schuster, who joins the solid receiving body of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
2 Miami Dolphins
AP Photo / Keith Srakocic
Miami is where it has been for twenty years and the Dolphins are in rebuild mode with the goal of adding youth to their roster. Smith-Schuster would combine well with established veteran DeVante Parker and third-year Preston Williams. You can bet that Tua Tagovailoa would file the same JuJu if he could.
1 New York Jets
AP Photo / Adam Hunger
Another great place to build your brand would be New York City. If the Jets decided to stay with quarterback Sam Darnold, it would be a storybook meeting. The two played together at USC, so the chemistry, the confidence, the features you want in a QB-WR duet wouldn’t be an issue. Smith-Schuster might be what Darnold needs to show off: he has yet to have a receiver of the caliber of JuJu.
And, boy, do the Jets need an infusion of talent into the receiver position, or what? Smith-Schuster would probably be the WR1 here and, as we’ve seen, has better performance when the spotlight isn’t just on him. Perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what JuJu needs to succeed in the role of a teenager.