Who Should I Start? JuJu Smith-Schuster or Evan Engram

Thursday, May 2, 2:33 PM

Starting next month, the New England Patriots could cut wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at a cost of $9.6 million in dead money and no salary cap relief, per Over the Cap, while releasing him before then would incur $2.6 million more in dead money and take a small chunk out of their league-leading $54 million cap room. If the Pats traded Smith-Schuster after June 1, they'd save almost $7 million in cap space and clear room for their young receivers to see more playing time. New England could prioritize playing time for rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, plus 2023 sixth-rounder Demario Douglas. It all means that Smith-Schuster may no longer be the team's No. 2 receiver, especially with Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn also on the roster.

Sunday, January 7, 7:46 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram caught 10 of his 13 targets for 79 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's meeting with the Titans. With the loss, the Jaguars were eliminated from postseason contention. However, Engram put forth his best effort, so he can't shoulder much of the blame. Overall, the 29-year-old arguably had the best season of his career. He caught 114 passes, doing so despite the subpar play of Trevor Lawrence. Engram also nearly hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark and found the end zone four times. That said, his stock will be much higher than most at the position ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. If Lawrence can get his act together, Engram could be in line for his best year in the league.