Patriots
If the Patriots lower Jack Jones, they may look internally for assist on the cornerback place.
Jack Jones’ time in Foxboro could be coming to an finish.
The 25-year-old cornerback is due again in a Boston courthouse in August for a possible trigger listening to following his arrest on gun expenses final Friday.
It stays to be seen if Jones will nonetheless be on the Patriots’ roster by the point he’s scheduled to return to courtroom later this summer season.
If the Patriots do choose to chop ties with Jones in some unspecified time in the future this offseason, it marks a significant blow to what was trying like a stout defensive backfield for New England in 2023.
For many of New England’s OTA (organized crew exercise) classes and minicamp, Jones was a standout performer as one of many Patriots’ two beginning boundary corners subsequent to rookie Christian Gonzalez.
So if Jones isn’t a part of the equation when the Patriots’ open camp in late July, how can they reshuffle their secondary?
Search for exterior assist
This could be probably the most unlikely situation, contemplating that the Patriots nonetheless have loads of inside candidates in place to fit in for Jones at exterior nook.
Marcus Peters is arguably the highest nook accessible on the open market, with the four-time All-Professional nonetheless able to enjoying on the surface for a crew prepared to pay up.
Nonetheless, Peters has been hampered by accidents over the previous couple of years, together with an ACL harm that ended his total 2021 marketing campaign with Baltimore. A report final week from The Athletic famous that the Raiders are “probably” to signal Peters earlier than camp opens in July.
Ronald Darby is one other potential choice, however he’s additionally coming off of an ACL harm that lower his 2022 season quick with the Broncos. Denver opted to launch Darby in March reasonably than let him play out the ultimate 12 months of his three-year contract.
New England may additionally have a look at a journeyman like Eli Apple, however the 27-year-old nook struggled to make a lot of an influence with the Bengals in 2022 after a strong first 12 months in Cincinnati.
The Patriots are in a robust place to shore up any vacancies on their roster by free-agent signings. In keeping with OverTheCap.com, New England nonetheless has $14.9 million in accessible cap house.
However whether or not it’s saving that cash for DeAndre Hopkins or utilizing it elsewhere, the Patriots shouldn’t be pursuing the marketplace for corners at or close to 30 years outdated.
Jonathan Jones strikes again to the surface
After six seasons as a high slot nook on New England’s protection, Jonathan Jones was bumped to the surface in 2022 to account for the departures of each Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson.
It was a tricky ask for the 5-foot-10 Jonathan Jones to line up alongside the sidelines in opposition to among the high wideouts within the league. However one of many few veteran leaders on an evolving Patriots secondary held his personal in his augmented position final season.
Throughout his 16 video games in 2022, Jonathan Jones allowed 46 catches on 86 targets whereas recording 4 interceptions and 5 go breakups.
The robust minicamp performances from each Gonzalez and Jack Jones supplied up a tantalizing situation the place Jonathan Jones shifted again into his “pure” place on the slot in 2023.
However given Jack Jones’ murky future in New England, the Patriots may simply as simply transfer again Jonathan Jones to the position he impressed in in the course of the 2022 season, whereas giving the slot nook spot to second-year participant Marcus Jones.
If Jonathan Jones is handed an out of doors nook position as soon as once more, he not less than has extra assist in 2023 within the type of Gonzalez.
Nonetheless, Jonathan Jones is a confirmed asset that has served as a distinction maker wherever New England slots him on protection.
Jalen Mills strikes again to nook
With Devin McCourty hanging up his cleats in the course of the offseason, Mills was anticipated to be considered one of many candidates set to earn reps at security in 2023.
But when New England does shake up its secondary unit, Mills can simply transfer again to nook, the place he spent his first two seasons with the Patriots.
Placing Mills on the boundary subsequent to Gonzalez may as soon as once more open the door for Jonathan Jones to revert again to fit nook. A security throughout a few of his time with the Eagles, Mills is usually a versatile software in a New England protection anchored by a lot of position-less “unicorns.”
There’s no query that the Patriots are at their greatest if Jack Jones and Gonzalez are making performs on the surface, given each their big-play capability and the ensuing domino impact of excellent gamers getting pushed into roles that additional match their skillset (Jonathan Jones on the slot, for instance).
But when the Patriots suppose that Jack Jones’ authorized points aren’t definitely worth the hassle, New England nonetheless has choices it will probably flip to in its secondary.
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