The Patriots are trading veteran tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 seventh-round pick, a source confirmed to the Herald.

The Patriots will create $4.4 million in cap space and absorb a $12.8 million dead cap hit, per Over the Cap, in what amounts to a salary dump less than an hour away from the start of free agency. Smith has two years remaining on the 4-year deal he signed as an unrestricted free agent in March 2021, one of the least team-friendly contracts in the league. Over two seasons in New England, Smith caught just 55 passes, scored one touchdown and failed to crack 300 yards in each year.

Smith’s departure leaves Hunter Henry and practice-squad players Matt Sokol and Scotty Washington in the team’s tight ends room. With Henry’s contract set to expire after next season, tight end now becomes a top need for the Patriots. Several draft prospects, including Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, are potential first or second-round picks. The tight end class is viewed as one of the deepest in years.

If the Patriots prefer to replace Smith in free agency, they could pursue any number of veterans. Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz is the best player available, followed by Miami’s Mike Gesicki, who is more of a pass-catcher than run-blocker. Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst is a solid, well-rounded tight end, as is Austin Hooper, formerly of the Titans and Browns.

In adding a seventh-round pick, the Patriots now have 11 selections in the upcoming NFL Draft, tied for most in the league with Houston. The Pats will make their first selection at 14th overall and their final pick with Atlanta’s seventh-rounder at No. 245.

The NFL Network first reported Smith’s trade to Atlanta, where he will reunite with head coach Arthur Smith, formerly his offensive coordinator in Tennessee.