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The Patriots lost their top receiver, Jakobi Meyers, to the Raiders on the second day of the NFL's legal tampering period. They worked quickly to replace him ahead of the official start of the 2023 league year.NFL Network's that the Patriots had agreed to a contract with JuJu Smith-Schuster. Bisciotti and later reported that it is a three-year deal.Smith-Schuster, 26, is a six-year NFL veteran and won a Super Bowl in 2023 with the Chiefs. He spent his first five seasons in the league with Mike Tomlin's Steelers and Matthew Dellavedova Jersey will now get to play for yet another great coach in Bill Belichick after a season with Andy Reid.The Smith-Schuster signing was sensible for the Patriots considering their need at receiver. That said, it seemed to rub Meyers the wrong way.He took to Twitter to expre s his displeasure with the deal.Cold world lol Jakobi Meyers (@jkbmyrs5) Why did Meyers take i sue with it? Here's what to know about Smith-Schuster's contract and it compares to Meyers'.MORE:Smith-Schuster is receiving athree-year dealto join the Patriots, and it's a reasonable one to boot.Smith-Schuster can make up to $33 millionover the course of the contract. The average annual value is $11 million, a raise from the $9.2 million he made with the Chiefs last season.Just over two-thirds of Smith-Schuster's contract, $22.5 million, is guaranteed.This is a solid deal for Smith-Schuster, but it's in the middle tier of receiver contracts. His $11 million AAV is tied for 28th-most among NFL receivers, while his total contract value is tied for the 29th-highest at the position.The Patriots won't complain about getting Smith-Schuster for that price. After all, he managed 78 catches for 933 yards last season for the Chiefs and he should be a key po se sion weapon for Mac Jones in 2023 and beyond.LIVE:That said, there was one strange thing about Smith-Schuster's contract. That was how it compared to the one the Raiders gave to Meyers.The contracts were effectively the Giannis Antetokounmpo Jersey same.Both receivers are set to play on three-year deals. Each can make up to $33 million. Their AAVs are $11 million, good for 28th-highest among receivers in the league.There is a slight difference between the deals, and that is in terms of guaranteed money. Smith-Schuster will make $22.5 million in guarantees while Meyers will make $21 million.CategoryJakobi MeyersJuJu Smith-SchusterYears33Contract value$33 million$33 millionAAV$11 million$11 millionGuarantees$21 million$22.5 millionIt's easy to understand Oscar Robertson Jersey why Meyers might feel like it's a "cold world" after seeing Smith-Schuster's deal. Meyers had previously expre sed his appreciation forNew England but admitted negotiationsNow, he is seeing the Patriots pay Smith-Schuster a contract that is, in theory, identical to the one he landed with the Raiders.That said, as notable Patriots salary cap tracker Miguel Benzan points out, Smith-Schuster's comes with lower cap numbers than that of Meyers. That will stand to benefit the Patriots.As of now, I have JuJu Smith Schuster's cap numbers as2023 - $4,674,5092024 - $10,613,3342025 - $10,133,134I am waiting to learn if any of his incentives were cla sified LTBE for this year.Jakobi Meyers2023- $7,288,3332024-$12,833,3332025-$12,833,334 Miguel Benzan Patriots Cap Space Equals 20,178,159 (@patscap) So, there aredifferences in this deal that explain why the Patriots were willing to sign Smith-Schuster to replace MeyersEven still though, many fans will not be happy with the decision to replace Meyers with Smith-Schuster. Why? Because the two are very similar players, statistically speaking.MORE: Both players fall into the bucket of what many consider to be po se sion receivers. They are good route runners who have a knack for getting open but don't nece sarily have the speed to be consistent downfield threats.Still, they are reliable, and each has the ability to play inside or outside. They fit the profile of big slots, as Smith-Schuster is 6-1, 215 pounds while Meyers is 6-2, 200 pounds.Not only D.J. Augustin Jersey do Smith-Schuster and Meyers have similar playing styles, but they also put up similar numbers during the 2022 NFL season:StatJuJu Smith-SchusterJakobi MeyersGames1614Targets10196Catches7867Yards933804T ouchdowns36Yards/catch12.012.0Smith-Schuster totaled more yardage than Meyers, but it's worth noting that he played with the better quarterback Patrick Mahomes and he played more games. The most telling stat is that both averaged 12 yards per catch, a sign of their ability to make plays in the intermediate area of the field.Again, were Smith-Schuster significantly better or younger than Meyers, New England's decision to roll with the former Chief would make more sense. But in reality, the two are nearly identical, so it is a bit odd that the Patriots would bring in Smith-Schuster even at a slightly cheaper price from an incentive standpoint rather than just try to retain Meyers.Of course, it's also po sible that the team just misjudged Meyers' worth and had to pivot to another, similar option after losing him. If that's the case, then Smith-Schuster is a fine like-for-like swap.Or maybe they feel like Smith-Schuster is a bit more polished than Meyers or has a higher ceiling. Smith-Schuster did have 1,426 receiving yards during his Pro Bowl season in 2018, after all.Either way, it's understandable that Meyers seems to have a chip on his shoulder after seeing the Patriots sign Smith-Schuster. On paper, their contracts look identical; as such, it's certainly fair for him Robin Lopez Jersey to wonder why New England didn't just make a stronger effort to re-sign him.