The Facts: Smith‘s first season with the Patriots wasn’t as successful as anyone hoped it would be when he signed with the team as a free agent and part of the reason for that may have dated back to the offseason. Smith, who had 28 catches for 294 yards and a touchdown last year, recounted the reasons why he missed time during his first months as a member of the team when he spoke to reporters on the first day of OTAs in New England. He also noted that missing that time has made him more aware of how much he can gain by being a full participant this time around.

Diehards Line:“I had a baby, man, so I definitely missed a lot,” Smith told Zack Cox of NESN.com. “And then in minicamp, I had [an injury], so my offseason was choppy. I had some great things like my baby girl being born, and I had some unfortunate setbacks, as well. I definitely missed some quality time here, man, and I recognize how valuable that time is. I’m just trying to take advantage of that. ...” Smith said he believes there’s “a great team-bonding element” to offseason work and that “everything else on the field will take care of itself” if the team creates strong bonds at this point in the calendar. It will be some time before that theory is put to the test and any leaps Smith can take in his productivity would be a big plus on that front.