Did Robert Kraft indirectly call out Nelson Agholor and Jonnu Smith?

The New England Patriots’ 2022 free agency approach pales in comparison to last year’s record-setting spending spree.

Of course, spending money willy nilly doesn’t always translate to team success. If you think about it, the Patriots never would’ve won nine games and made the playoffs in 2021 if they didn’t hit on their draft picks.

The reason for that? Their offseason splurge wasn’t a huge success. While Matt Judon, Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry were great pickups, the jury is still out on Nelson Agholor, Jonnu Smith, Jalen Mills and Henry Anderson.

Even following the acquisition of DeVante Parker, it’s imperative that Agholor (if he’s not traded or released) and Smith step up their respective games next season.

Clearly aware of this, team owner Robert Kraft appeared to put the two pass-catchers on blast during a recent interview.

Did Patriots owner Robert Kraft put Nelson Agholor and Jonnu Smith on blast with his latest comments?

Here’s what Kraft had to say when Jeff Howe of The Athletic asked him if Jones could take his game to another level in Year 2.

"Part of it, in fairness, is the chemistry of the people around him. I hope that some of the free agents who we brought in who didn’t perform as high as we would have liked last year will (produce) this year because they’ve adjusted to the system. And we’re making changes to take advantage of what they do best. We have a lot of talent that hasn’t been tapped into yet, in my opinion."

Kraft is obviously just speaking about the offense here, so that rules out Mills and Anderson. By process of elimination, that leaves Smith and Agholor as the unnamed subjects of the owner’s criticism.

Of the Patriots’ offensive free agent signings, Henry set a career-high and finished tied for first amongst tight ends with nine touchdowns, Bourne finished second on the team in catches, receiving yards and TDs, and Ted Karras helped stabilize the interior of the offensive line.

Smith and Agholor, on the other hand, were major disappointments while playing on expensive contracts.

Signed for $50 million over four years, including $31.25 million guaranteed last offseason, Smith totaled 28 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown while earning a lowly 43.4 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

Agholor wasn’t much better after he was signed to be the team’s No. 1 receiver and premier deep threat. Playing on a two-year, $22 million deal, Agholor posted 37 catches for 473 yards and three scores. For context, Brandon Bolden finished with more catches than the former first-round pick.

Though Kraft didn’t mention them by name, it’s pretty obvious he was referring to Agholor and Smith with these comments.

For Jones’ sake, the handsomely-paid duo better bounce back in 2022, because the Alabama product is already entering his second year with burning questions about his coaching staff and offensive line.

Could preseason switch for Jonnu Smith help him in Year 2 with Patriots?

Could Jonnu Smith planning to be a full participant in the Patriots' voluntary offseason program signify a Year 2 leap for the talented tight end?