Dolphins sign former Falcons tight end, FIU star Jonnu Smith. Details on new deal

The Dolphins signed former Atlanta Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith, the team announced Friday, adding reinforcements to their offense days before the start of free agency.

The deal is for two years and worth up to $10 million, a source said. Smith, who turns 29 in August, had a visit with the Dolphins on Tuesday and the two sides have been in contract negotiations since then.

Because Smith was released by the Falcons, he was eligible to sign immediately and did not have to wait until the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. next Wednesday.

In the 2023 season, Smith appeared in all 17 games (six starts) and caught 50 passes for 582 yards, both career highs, as well as three touchdowns.

A third-round pick of the Titans in 2017, Smith played the first four seasons of his career in Tennessee. He signed a four-year deal worth $50 million with the New England Patriots in the 2021 offseason. But Smith totaled just 55 catches for 539 yards and one touchdown in two seasons. Last offseason, New England traded Smith to the Falcons for a 2023 seventh-round pick and Smith reworked his contract to facilitate the deal.

In seven seasons, Smith has recorded 219 catches for 2,423 yards and 20 touchdowns. While Smith is an accomplished pass-catching tight end, he has primarily operated from an inline alignment, as opposed to lining up in the slot; this ability to block could appeal to head coach Mike McDaniel, who often asks his tight ends to execute blocking duties.

Smith also fits McDaniel’s desire for speed on offense. Among qualifying tight ends, Smith’s 7.1 yards after the catch per reception only trailed the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle (7.4) and Cleveland Browns’ David Njoku (7.4). Smith has also had five touches that reached 20 miles per hour or more since 2018; this is tied for the most among tight ends, according to NextGen Stats.

Smith, 6-3 and 248 pounds, played college football at FIU, where he was a two-time All-Conference USA selection.

Whether it was a No. 3 wide receiver or a pass-catching tight end, the Dolphins needed a secondary pass-catcher behind wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The duo combined for 2,813 receiving yards, more than any receiver tandem, but their snaps have been limited and they both dealt with injuries in the second half of the 2023 season.

Receivers Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., River Cracraft, Robbie Chosen and Chase Claypool are all unrestricted free agents.

The Dolphins have seldom used the tight end in the passing game since McDaniel arrived before the 2022 season but that could change with the arrival of Smith. Last season, the Dolphins threw a league-low 52 passes to their tight ends. Miami was also the only team in the NFL that did not have a tight end catch a touchdown pass.

Durham Smythe, Julian Hill and Tanner Conner are other tight ends under contract for the 2024 season.