If they want to make some in-season moves, the New England Patriots needed to clear some cap space at some point. They made one move to do that on Friday with Jonnu Smith.

Smith's contract for the 2022 season was reworked. New England converted $7.965 million of the tight end's base salary into a bonus, which creates $5.31 million in cap space for the upcoming season, ESPN's Field Yates reported.

Prior to Friday, the Patriots had just north of $3 million in cap space. By restructuring Smith's contract, the Patriots have roughly $8.8 million in cap space, per salary cap guru Miguel Benzan.

A move doesn't appear to be on the horizon, but of course, things can change. New England also hasn't been a stranger to making splashy in-season moves in the past, and it'll likely need a fair amount of cap space if it wanted to acquire a solid contributor.

The move also means that the Patriots are borrowing future cap space to create cap space now, indicating that they're confident in a turnaround season for Smith. New England signed Smith to a four-year, $50 million deal in 2021, but the tight end disappointed in his first season with the Patriots. He only had 28 receptions for 294 yards and a touchdown, which were all either the lowest since his rookie season (receptions and yards) or the lowest of his career (touchdowns).

The installation of the new streamlined offense should better suit Smith's strengths, which allow receivers to make plays after the catch. Smith led all NFL tight ends in yards gained after catch per reception last season (8.5). He has also had some standout moments in camp, having some notable catches over starting safety Kyle Dugger that drew some applause.

If Jonnu Smith didn't live up to expectations this season, the Patriots could have saved at least $7.2 million in cap space if they traded him in 2023 prior to Friday's news. The Patriots also would've been easily able to release Smith without much dead cap following the 2023 season. It's unsure how Friday's news will affect both figures.