4 passable trade offers Patriots would have to accept for Mac Jones
The New England Patriots hit rock bottom in 2023. At season's end, Bill Belichick was dismissed and the Jerod Mayo era began in full. It's hard to say what exactly this new era will bring, but we all expect Mac Jones to start next season on a different team.
There's a chance the Patriots simply pay the $2.78 million buyout on Jones' contract, but a trade would be more reasonable. That is, assuming a market actually develops for the 25-year-old.
Jones' third season in the NFL was an abject disaster. His coach lost all confidence in him. Whether that was a cause or an effect relative to Jones' struggles is unclear. Maybe it was both. In the end, he completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 11 starts. He eventually lost his job to Bailey Zappe, who was not very good either, which sent more negative energy in Jones' direction. It's hard to completely lose faith in a former first-round pick who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie three short years ago, but Jones is a singular example of crushed dreams and broken promises.
New England will not get much back for Jones. Trey Lance famously returned a single fourth-round pick via trade last offseason. While Jones has more on-field experience at the NFL level, Lance had the mystique of an unknown on his side. We know Jones ain't great, which is going to tank his value.
That said, here are a few reasonable landing spots.
4. Rams can address backup QB question with Mac Jones
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The Los Angeles Rams essentially don't have a backup QB on the roster with Carson Wentz hitting free agency. Stetson Bennett IV spent his entire rookie season on the reserve/non-illness list for reasons unknown to the general public. Bennett deserves his privacy and we can only hope that he is okay, but for Los Angeles, there is pressure to put a reliable arm behind Matthew Stafford in case of emergency.
Jones performed well below expectations last season, but he still carries more upside than your standard backup QB. Again, we are three years removed from a genuinely impressive rookie season, in which Jones threw for 3,822 yards and 23 touchdowns on a winning team. Maybe with a new, more innovative coach in Sean McVay — removed from the repressive toxicity of the Patriots organization under late-period Belichick — we can finally start to see the old Jones start to reappear.
The Rams can put him in a great scheme with a ton of offensive talent and a great mentor in Stafford. Jones would be out of the limelight for a season, on a team where far less is asked of him. It's hard to play in New England, in the shadow of Tom Brady and all the titanic excellence associated with that franchise. The Rams offer a sunny locale and the chance for a much-needed reset.
This really does come down to the Sean McVay factor in the end. If there's one coach who can save Jones with sheer play-calling creativity and enthusiasm, it's probably the man in charge in Los Angeles. McVay is a drastic shift, both schematically and in terms of personality, compared to what Jones endured with the Pats. That is a good thing.