Mac Jones traded: Who will be the Patriots next starting QB?،
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – What's next for the New England Patriots at quarterback?
In finalizing a trade to send quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots' new regime — led by scouting director Eliot Wolf and first-year head coach year Jerod Mayo – ultimately decided a fresh start was best for both sides.
Jones, the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, showed promise as a rookie when he was named a Pro Bowl alternate. But his performance declined after an unfortunate series of coaching and personnel decisions by former head coach Bill Belichick, with Jones also taking responsibility for things he could have done better on the field. He was benched after 11 games last season, increasing the likelihood that his days with the Patriots are coming to an end.
In three seasons, Jones finished his career with the Patriots going 864 of 1,308 for 8,918 yards, with 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.
The team has 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe and December pick Nathan Rourke on its current quarterback depth chart, but more additions are guaranteed.
The Patriots are optimistic that first-year offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, whose work preparing five quarterbacks to play for the Cleveland Browns last season drew rave reviews, will do the same for New England's QB group .
Van Pelt said the key traits he looks for in quarterbacks are: “smart, tough and a leader.”
“Obviously there’s precision in the passing game, as well as mobility and decision-making,” he said. “There's a lot to do, but at the end of the day, this role is so important not only to the offense but to the team: a guy who is a true leader who really understands his teammates and gets the most out of .of these guys.
When scouting quarterbacks, Wolf also said he appreciates those who elevate their teammates.
“Someone your teammates want to play for,” he said. “I think it's a hugely underrated thing that people don't really talk about. Leadership is important. And obviously physical talent; we wouldn't be talking about these guys if they weren't physically talented .”
As for Mayo's view, he said: “Everyone wants big arm and mobility and things like that, but I think it's important to have a good idea of what type of competitor they are. are. Their stamina. Those are things that we really look for.”
Who will be the Patriots' next signal caller? The Patriots have the No. 3 pick in a 2024 draft stacked with quarterbacks and are also expected to explore signing a veteran option in free agency.
Choice #3
Three quarterbacks are expected to lead the selection committee in April: USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye.
An NFL general manager said he likes the position the Patriots are in because they can sit at pick 3 and take the quarterback that falls — assuming they evaluate them closely.
It is widely believed and expected that the Chicago Bears will select Williams with the first pick, then the Washington Commanders would likely decide between Daniels and Maye at No. 2.
The Patriots met with all three prospects, among others, during the Indianapolis game last week.
“It’s a really good year for quarterbacks,” Wolf said before the games. “One thing about the quarterbacks in this draft, in particular, that excites me is that they all seem like really tough guys. Which is obviously great at any position , but that of quarterback in particular.”
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 after a sensational season in which he totaled 4,946 yards of offense (3,812 passing, 1,134 rushing) and 50 total touchdowns. One of the questions scouts have regarding Daniels is whether his slimmer frame could affect his durability in the NFL. Daniels, who was listed on LSU's roster at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, did not take official action at the NFL combine.
There are no such questions with Maye, who measured 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds at the combine. Maye, however, hasn't faced the same level of competition as Daniels and hasn't matched his production after slumping in 2023 while playing under a new offensive coordinator and in a new system. Maye threw for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2022, then totaled 3,608 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2023.
During a draft conference call last week, ESPN's Field Yates said the Patriots can't go wrong with Daniels or Maye.
“There is no consolation prize for the Patriots at pick 3. These guys are all so different that whatever quarterback is available to the Patriots, I believe any of these three are the type of core players that you can spend a decade with and they can become the centerpiece of what the Patriots hope will be a new arc of winning again,” Yates said.
“Given the desperate need for a quarterback out there, my mentality would be opportunity cost. If you don't take one now and get a nominal upgrade in free agency that could push you eighth or 10th pick in next year's draft. , do the same exercise now. If the Patriots move from pick 3 to pick 8 or 11, it will be costly for the acquiring team. If you are the Patriots and you don't take one of these quarterbacks now — and now you pick the 10th or 11th next year — are you willing to pay the full freight in a year?”
Free agent options
If the Patriots select a quarterback at No. 3, they will likely draft a veteran signal-caller to complement him. The veteran could potentially start, creating a dynamic in which there is no urgency to rush the rookie into action.
Building that type of infrastructure around a rookie quarterback is on Wolf's radar.
“The main thing is to try to do everything we can to support that person once they come into the building,” Wolf said. “We're going to make the best decision possible, in terms of who this person is, if we decide to be a quarterback at 3. Just put all the resources and everything we have into this person to support them and we ensure they are the best version of themselves.”
Jacoby Brissett, 31, and Joe Flacco, 39, are veterans who played for the Browns when Van Pelt was quarterbacks coach, which is why they were considered the Patriots' most likely targets.
Brissett, who entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2016, started 11 games for the Browns in 2022. He completed 236 of 369 passes for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Brissett moved to Washington in 2023, serving as Sam Howell's backup.
Meanwhile, the Browns signed Flacco late last season after he suffered a series of injuries, and his play earned him the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award. He completed 60% of his passes for 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the regular season, as Cleveland went 4-1 in his starts and secured a playoff berth. Flacco threw two pick-6s in a 45-14 loss to the Texans.
Baker Mayfield was also an option Sunday, but the Buccaneers and Mayfield agreed to a three-year deal for a total of $100 million and $50 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
