3 teams that should take a chance on JuJu Smith-Schuster after Patriots release

The New England Patriots made a bit of a surprising move, releasing JuJu Smith-Schuster just one day after their preseason opener.

It comes as a bit of a surprise because Smith-Schuster is in the second year of a three-year deal he signed ahead of the 2023 season. The Patriots will have to eat a ton of dead money as a result of this. However, it isn't overly shocking because Smith-Schuster wasn't really a fit in New England anymore.

He had a rough go of it in 2023, racking up just 260 receiving yards in 11 games played. With the Patriots adding Ja'Lynn Polk in the NFL Draft and signing K.J. Osborn in free agency, Smith-Schuster was likely going to be fighting for the last receiver spot on their roster. By releasing him now, Smith-Schuster does at least have time to land elsewhere before the regular season begins, and the Patriots can take a look at other options for that final receiver spot.

With Smith-Schuster soon to be hitting free agency, there should be several teams interested in signing him. No, he isn't the player he once was, but even in 2022, he had 933 receiving yards and he is still just 27 years old. Perhaps he can provide some value in a new situation for another team in need of receiving help. Any of these three teams make sense.

3) The Ravens could always use some extra wide receiver depth

Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP winner despite never really having much to work with when it comes to wide receivers. That shows the kind of special talent he truly is.

The Baltimore Ravens did improve his supporting cast this offseason, but the addition they made was in the running back room with Derrick Henry. Baltimore didn't do much of anything when it came to their wide receiver room other than extend Nelson Agholor and sign Russell Gage. Adding JuJu Smith-Schuster to a room devoid of depth makes sense.

Zay Flowers had a solid rookie year and is going to be Baltimore's WR1. Behind him, though, there isn't much, with guys like Agholor, Gage, and Rashod Bateman in the mix. Adding Smith-Schuster could prove to be very beneficial, and his familiarity with the AFC North can only help them as they try to win another division title.

2) CeeDee Lamb's status makes adding JuJu Smith-Schuster intriguing for the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys had an extremely underwhelming offseason, not doing much after their early playoff loss in 2023. What has made it even more disappointing is that the Cowboys haven't extended any of Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott, or CeeDee Lamb, who are all looking for new deals.

Parsons and Prescott are both with the team, but Lamb is holding out as he searches for a new contract. Based on what Jerry Jones had to say, a new contract might not be coming anytime soon, even if Prescott is eager for a deal to get done.

If Lamb winds up sitting through preseason and into the regular season, that's a problem for the Cowboys, as not only would they be without one of the best wideouts in football, but their depth at the position isn't all that great, to begin with.

Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, and KaVontae Turpin are next in line behind Lamb, leaving a lot to be desired. While Smith-Schuster is obviously nowhere near as productive as Lamb, he is another body for Dak Prescott to throw to, which is important for a team (we think) trying to win.

1) No team needs wide receiving help more than the Chargers

Has anyone taken a look at the Los Angeles Chargers' wide receiver room? It's not pretty.

Their two best receivers in recent memory, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, are now on other teams. They signed D.J. Chark and drafted Ladd McConkey, but that's about it. Do the Chargers really want to enter the season with Chark, McConkey, and Josh Palmer as their top three receivers?

Justin Herbert is as elite as it gets, but even he needs somebody to throw to. I mean, Smith-Schuster isn't anything special at this stage in his career, but can an argument not be made that he'd be, at worst, their third-best receiver right now?

The Chargers will probably run the ball a lot when taking a look at their coaching staff, and should look to get McConkey tons of touches, but their team goes as far as Herbert will take them. By giving Herbert a somewhat capable receiver to throw to in Smith-Schuster, the Chargers would improve.

He's not Allen or Williams, but they should look to add somebody to one of the worst receiving rooms in the NFL. He's an upgrade over most of what they have on their roster and would come at a very cheap cost. It makes too much sense.