Patriots
“They just don’t have another guy right now that they feel they can turn to.”
With the Patriots currently planted in the cellar of the AFC with a 2-6 record, Bill Belichick and Co. might be staring at a sell-off ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
New England may not have the trade chips in place to net a high draft pick, but players like Josh Uche, Ezekiel Elliott, and other pending free agents could be moved as the Patriots opt to look to the future.
But could Mac Jones be a part of New England’s sell-off ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline?
ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter was asked about such a scenario during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday.
“Mac Jones is interesting, but then that’s New England just cashing out on its season. Because one of the reasons the Patriots haven’t made a quarterback change is they just don’t have another guy right now that they feel they can turn to,” Schefter said. “So, if you’re trading away Mac Jones in a season that’s gone south anyway, OK, but that’s checking out at less than the halfway mark, which just seems a little strange to me when they like Mac Jones and they don’t have another guy.”
Jones has been far from stellar in his third season in Foxborough, throwing for nine touchdowns and eight interceptions on the season. But with injuries hampering several QB1s across the NFL, Jones could be a viable option for a team that thinks he could execute with a stronger supporting cast around him.
The Vikings are likely on the prowl for a new signal caller after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday — especially with Jaren Hall standing as the only other QB on the roster as of Monday night.
But even if there’s a potential need there for Minnesota, Schefter doesn’t see a scenario where New England would opt to part ways with Jones.
“So, again, let’s say in a perfect world Minnesota wanted Mac Jones — and this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Schefter said. “What do the Vikings give up for him, and what are the Patriots willing to trade him for? It’s just, it’s hard to come up with that equation to make it work for both sides — for any quarterback, Mac Jones or anybody.”
Even if Jones may not be the long-term fit in New England, Belichick and his coaching staff may not want to trudge through the final nine weeks of the 2023 season with a combination of Bailey Zappe, Will Grier, and Malik Cunningham under center.
During his latest interview on WEEI’s “Jones & Mego Show” on Monday, Jones was asked about his confidence level as far as remaining in Foxborough past Tuesday evening.
“Yeah, I’m not really focused on the outside sources, noises, and that stuff,” Jones said. “My biggest thing, as I just talked about, is ‘Hey, what can I do this week to become better? How can I improve some of the things I didn’t do well the week before, and then be consistent with the things I did well.”
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Originally posted 2023-10-31 01:36:47.