Some free-agent wide receivers want to play with an elite quarterback. Others are drawn to legitimate championship contenders.
For JuJu Smith-Schuster, however, the New England Patriots' main attraction was their new assistant coach.
After Wednesday's training camp session outside Gillette Stadium, Smith-Schuster told reporters that New England's hiring of offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien in January essentially swayed him to choose the Patriots in free agency.
"When they got OB," Smith-Schuster said, as seen in the video above. "When they got Bill O'Brien, that was kind of like a no-brainer."
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After Bill Belichick's disastrous decision to let Matt Patricia call plays in 2022, the team took the unusual step of announcing a formal offensive coordinator search that landed on O'Brien, who spent six-plus seasons as the Houston Texans' head coach and five seasons with the Patriots, including one as Tom Brady's offensive coordinator in 2011.
Not only did O'Brien's hire put Patriots fans at ease, it also made an impact on players like Smith-Schuster, who are aware of O'Brien's offensive pedigree.
"I know this system is and how it works, and how he works the offense," Smith-Schuster said of O'Brien. "Belichick, as he is as a head coach, and to bring OB in and bring in (tight end) Mike (Gesicki) and all these key pieces, it was kind like, 'Wow, this is a good fit for me.'"
O'Brien has already made his presence felt in training camp: Our Phil Perry has observed the Patriots' offense running a more diverse set of plays with new wrinkles that should play to Mac Jones' strengths, while our Tom E. Curran noted O'Brien's on-field demeanor has brought much-needed stability to the offensive unit.
"He's a smart OC," Smith-Schuster added. "I love his coaching style, and he's just one of those dudes that you want to play hard for, because he's doing his best to put us all in the right spot. It's nice."
It's hard to place too much stock in one offensive coordinator, and O'Brien won't be a panacea for New England's offensive shortcomings. The team still lacks a game-changing skill player -- when asked if the Patriots have a No. 1 wideout, Smith-Schuster said he'd consider himself, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne all No. 1s -- and that could put a ceiling on how much this unit improves in 2023.
That said, O'Brien's reputation clearly precedes him, and while Patricia's presence may have made players wary of coming to New England, O'Brien appears to be having the opposite effect.
