INDIANAPOLIS — This is shaping up as a career-defining year for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.
The 2021 first-round pick is still expected to be the team’s starter next season, with multiple people involved in the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly calling it Jones’ job to lose, but backup Bailey Zappe will at least have a chance to push Jones.
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And frankly, that’s the way it should be.
Jones had a strong first season, finishing second in offensive rookie of the year voting, but he struggled along with the rest of the offense in 2022. While Jones isn’t wholly absolved of the blame for the offensive setback, the circumstances around him made it difficult for any quarterback to thrive.
That’s why Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft decided to overhaul the system, as Bill O’Brien was rehired in January as offensive coordinator. It is still undetermined whether Matt Patricia, who led the offense last season, will return to the Patriots in a different capacity or take a job with another organization.
As for Jones, there’s a level of disconnectedness that must be resolved.
Belichick instructed the coaching staff not to be too hard on Jones last season, according to the same sources. If Jones made a mistake or needed to be corrected, instead of yelling at him, the coaching staff generally took a more constructive approach.
That’s atypical. Belichick used to loudly chew out Tom Brady in an attempt to set the tone for the rest of the team. The rationale, Belichick believed, was that if the rest of the players knew Brady was in the coaching crosshairs, no one was untouchable. That ran counter to his approach with Jones.
Bill Belichick is shaking up his offense after Mac Jones tumbled from 22 touchdown passes to 14. (Noah Murray / Associated Press)Still, Jones noted during a news conference last season that he wanted to be coached harder. He also dealt with demanding coaching at Alabama with Nick Saban — with whom he often talked trash during practice — and in high school with Corky Rogers.
Jones has handled hard coaching and adversity in the past, notably sticking it out at Alabama without any guarantees that he’d ever start ahead of higher-ranked recruits on the depth chart. These were well-documented events that were considered positive traits before he was drafted.
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So it’s noteworthy that something isn’t adding up. Whatever is off, the Patriots and Jones need each other to be at their best to get back on track and maximize their potential next season.
Now, with a more traditional offensive staff in place, the 2023 season will set the tone for the rest of Jones’ career in New England. However long that might be.
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QB market on pause
Quarterback-needy teams are on hold at the moment.
The Packers are waiting to hear from Aaron Rodgers about his intentions for next season, which puts teams like the Jets in wait-and-see mode in the event the 39-year-old wants to be traded. If Rodgers wants to remain in Green Bay or retire, the Jets and other teams interested in a veteran quarterback will turn their attention toward the likes of Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo. Carr, who is already a free agent, met with the Jets, Panthers and Saints this week at the combine.
And then there’s Baker Mayfield. Like any quarterback with starting experience, the first pick of the 2018 draft would prefer to find a spot where he can compete for the top job, but such an opportunity might not exist, pending QB decisions by the Raiders, Giants, Colts, Buccaneers, Commanders and Saints.
Mayfield’s best options could be returning to the Rams or joining the 49ers or Broncos. All three teams have successful, offensive-minded head coaches and starting quarterbacks who missed time due to injury during the 2022 season.
At a minimum, Mayfield would get an extra season of strong coaching in Los Angeles (Sean McVay), San Francisco (Kyle Shanahan) or Denver (Sean Payton). And if the starter goes down again, it’d put Mayfield in a better situation to succeed if he’s called upon.
QB clarity in San Francisco
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is expected to have elbow surgery next week, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it. Purdy was initially scheduled to have surgery last month, but the procedure was delayed due to ongoing swelling.
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The belief is Purdy will need six months to recover, but they won’t truly know the timeline until after the surgery. Week 1 of the regular season will be Sept. 7-11, so it’s far too early to know if Purdy will be ready in that time frame.
That could put 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance in line to start the opener for the second consecutive season. Lance, who had two surgeries on his ankle last season, is expected to return to action during San Francisco’s offseason workout program in the spring.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said this week the team could restructure quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract this offseason. Watson signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal last year.
If they go that route, the Browns would likely convert a portion of his $46 million base salary for 2023 into a signing bonus to reduce his cap hit, according to a person briefed on the matter who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it. It doesn’t sound like the intention would be to add years or even void years to the deal.
Watson’s cap hit is $54.993 million for each season from 2023 to 2026. So while converting the salary into a bonus would shrink his cap hit in 2023, it would cause it to increase from 2024 to 2026, which means another restructure could be on the table in future offseasons, as well.
Quick hitters
Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks requested a trade last season, and the team was open to working with him, though nothing materialized. While the possibility exists that Cooks could still be moved, it didn’t appear anything was imminent, according to a person involved in the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly about it. But of course, with much of the league at the combine this week, personnel decisions can happen quickly.
All parties involved remain tight-lipped on the trade availability of Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but there’s a rumor picking up steam in league circles that the Cowboys would be a good fit. Pairing Ramsey with Trevon Diggs would certainly create one of the most fascinating cornerback combinations in the NFL.
(Photo of Mac Jones: Billie Weiss / Getty Images)
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