Maybe Mac Jones doesn’t have a future with the New England Patriots beyond this season, but he could have trade value for an NFC contender, based on “reported interest” in the past.
The possibility is put forward by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who says Jones “would theoretically have trade value” if the Pats move on him from him as starting quarterback in 2024. Barnwell named the San Francisco 49ers “as an obvious landing spot given Kyle Shanahan’s reported interest before the Niners drafted Trey Lance.”
Trading three first-round picks to select Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL draft didn’t work out for the 49ers. Lance is now with the Dallas Cowboys, but it’s telling head coach Kyle Shanahan had an interest in Jones, the polar opposite of a dual-threat QB.
Shanahan’s interest means there may be a way for the Patriots to salvage something from the first-round investment they made in Jones. The latter’s future appears destined to lie elsewhere after head coach Bill Belichick benched No. 10 in favor of Bailey Zappe with the game on the line against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10.
With the team mired a 2-8, Belichick’s own future getting murkier by the day and a potential QB controversy brewing, now’s the perfect time for the Patriots to explore whatever market there is for Jones.
Mac Jones an Interesting Fit for 49ers
Mobility has often been the key for quarterbacks operating the Shanahan offense. Moving pockets, rollout passes and RPOs are the foundations of the system.
Jones hasn’t been known for his wheels in New England, but he does boast solid experience operating RPOs. He’s a noted fan of run-pass options from his days at Alabama.
Back in 2022, Evan Lazar of Patriots.com noted how “Jones had the third-highest rate of his passes come off RPO schemes in the 2021 quarterback class (19%). Furthermore, in his final season with the Crimson Tide, Jones lit up defenses with these schemes: 73-of-78, 890 yards, ten touchdowns, and zero interceptions for a near-perfect passer rating of 153.8.”
Shanahan’s love of RPOs has helped Brock Purdy go from ‘Mr. Irrelevant‘ in the 2022 NFL draft to be one of the most efficient quarterbacks in football. Plays like this one highlighted by Brad of TheSFNiners shows how run-look concepts create quick throws and easy yards for Purdy.
The Patriots haven’t done enough of this to help Jones thrive. It would be a different story in San Francisco, where he’d get to connect with Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.
Patriots Haven’t Played to Jones’ Strengths
The Patriots haven’t done right by Jones with either scheme or personnel. While Barnwell noted offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s “implemented some of the Alabama flourishes that helped Jones excel as a college quarterback, this offense doesn’t have many easy solutions for the third-year pro.”
Barnwell has been calling on O’Brien and the Pats to let Jones use more RPOs since before this season started.
It’s a reasonable demand since Jones ran just 32 RPOs as a rookie, per Pro Football Reference. The number has been declining since, with Jones running 19 RPOs in Year 2 and 25 through 10 games this season.
This scheme doesn’t suit Jones, but more than X’s and O’s, he struggles because of a paucity of talent among the skill players. Belichick has struggled to recruit quality wide receivers, a problem compounded by leading target Kendrick Bourne tearing his ACL against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8.
Other recruits, like wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki, have struggled for snaps. It doesn’t help Jones has hardly had enough time behind a crumbling offensive line that surrendered five sacks in the first half against the Colts, including this one by Tyquan Lewis.
Jones is also culpable for a lot of the Patriots struggles this season. He’s made shaky decisions and not protected the football.
Yet, when a team uses the 15th-overall pick to select a quarterback, the way the Pats did for Jones in 2021, the onus is on the franchise to equip the signal-caller with everything he needs. Belichick’s failure to do so is the main reason the 71-year-old is rumored to be out of time after this season.
A clean break from both Belichick and Jones looks increasingly like what’s best for the Patriots beyond 2023.
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