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A new report suggests the New England Patriots would be open to the idea of trading quarterback Mac Jones, and there are sure to be some teams around the league interested in the former college football national champion.
This past season was a very rocky one for Mac Jones and the New England Patriots offense. Former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels leaving to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders set up a domino effect of poor replacements and an atrocious offensive situation in 2022. The player most hurt by that departure was Jones.
After an impressive rookie season, the 24-year-old took a major step back with Joe Judge and Matt Patricia leading the offense. However, there is hope for change in 2023 with former OC Bill O’Brien back in the all-important role. Yet, Jones being the starting QB again next season is far from a guarantee.
During an appearance on the Boston radio show “Zolak and Bertrand,” NFL insider Albert Breer revealed his belief that the team doesn’t see a notable gap in talent between Jones and backup Bailey Zappe and his feeling that head coach Bill Belichick was not a fan of how Jones handled himself during a frustrating 2022 season. He also floated the idea that a trade could happen.
4 possible trade partners for New England Patriots in Mac Jones trade
While Breer suggested a trade to be reunited with McDaniels in Las Vegas is possible, there are likely several teams that would be open to trading for Jones if the Patriots put him on the trade block. Let’s take a look at some of those possible options.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are the most obvious option for the aforementioned reasons. After the team released incumbent QB Derek Carr last week, it is in a difficult predicament with no legitimate starting-level NFL QB on the roster. If the Raiders strike out on a possible trade for Aaron Rodgers or moving up in the NFL Draft’s top 10, they could make a hard push for Jones.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are badly in need of a QB upgrade with Ryan Tannehill likely to be a cap casualty and Malik Willis not showing much in his starts during his rookie season. The team was rumored to be a possible option for Tom Brady if he hit free agency. Maybe trading a third-round pick for the current New England QB can get the Titans the upgrade and long-term signal-caller they are looking for.
New York Giants
With rumblings that the New York Giants and free agent Daniel Jones are far apart on terms of a new contract, a trade for Jones could be an interesting direction for the team to go. A case could be made that Mac Jones is a better pure pocket passer than Daniel Jones and at a far cheaper rate over the next two seasons. Acquiring the Pats QB could give the Giants much more flexibility to address other roster needs for one of the surprise teams of 2022.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have a hole at quarterback following Brady’s retirement. While it would seem odd for them to fill the position with another veteran of the Patriots, just like the Giants, it makes a lot of sense on a financial and talent level. Mac Jones is likely not who we saw last season, and if he can be closer to what the NFL saw in 2021, that would be a fantastic and affordable replacement for a living legend in 2023.
More must-reads:
- Patriots QB could be trade target for Raiders
- Insider shoots down rumor linking Patriots with 49ers' Deebo Samuel
- The 'Most passing yards for every NFL franchise' quiz
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