After seeing Mac Jones regress from Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021 to third-string quarterback by the end of the 2023 campaign, the Patriots, in the first year of the post-Bill Belichick era, are widely expected to select a signal-caller in the upcoming draft. With Caleb Williams likely to be the No. 1 overall pick, New England will have at least one of Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels to choose from when it is on the clock with the No. 3 overall selection. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano hears that the Pats are open to trading that pick and acquiring more assets to restock a generally weak roster (subscription required).
In that scenario, New England would look to free agency for a quarterback. Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield presently top the free agent QB class, though both players could re-sign with their current clubs before the legal tampering period opens. If that happens, the Pats would be picking from a number of backup or bridge types like Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, and Drew Lock (it should be noted that Russell Wilson is also likely to hit the open market in short order).
A team like New England that is probably at least a year away from contention may be perfectly willing to roll with a stopgap option for one season if that strategy allows them to supplement other areas of need. On the other hand, the 2025 class of collegiate QBs is not shaping up to be an inspiring one, so selecting a player like Maye or Daniels now may prove to be the Patriots’ best course of action, even if the bottom-heavy 2025 crop increases the value of the No. 3 pick in 2024.
If new personnel chief Eliot Wolf and new head coach Jerod Mayo ultimately decide that a trade down makes more sense, then Graziano expects the Falcons, who presently hold the No. 8 overall pick, and the Vikings (No. 11 overall) to have interest. Atlanta, which came close to hiring Belichick as its new HC, has plenty of non-QB talent and could be a quarterback away from being a legitimate contender (though team brass is currently undecided on how it will go about upgrading the position). Minnesota, meanwhile, has already been mentioned as a trade-up candidate, and if the team is unable to agree to a new deal with Cousins by the start of the 2024 league year on March 13, it will be saddled with a $28.5MM dead money charge. Per Graziano, there are some within the Vikes organization that are particularly keen on pairing Daniels with fellow LSU product Justin Jefferson, so New England and Minnesota could line up on a trade if the reigning Heisman Trophy winner is not selected with one of the first two picks in the draft. The Vikings having their QB1 on a rookie deal would certainly help ease the sting of a Cousins departure and his dead money parting gift.
In a piece detailing the quarterback situations of a number of clubs, the NFL.com trio of Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo believe that the Patriots will try to trade Jones in the coming weeks. The relationship between Belichick and Jones deteriorated over Jones’ first three years in the league, and although Belichick is gone, New England’s new power brokers are seemingly prepared for some sort of reset at the position. Indeed, a change of scenery may benefit both parties.
Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, in an article that is well-worth a read for Pats fans in particular, notes that Jones was (understandably) frustrated with Belichick’s decision to hire Matt Patricia as a replacement for Josh McDaniels in 2022 and to shift to an offensive system different than the one in which Jones thrived in his rookie season. Jones’ resistance to those changes angered Belichick, and the HC-QB dynamic went downhill from there.
Hiring Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator in 2023 did not yield the results that the team hoped for, and Mark Daniels reports that New England staff did not view Jones as a strong enough leader, believing instead that the third-year passer simply “wanted to be one of the guys.” Plus, when the Pats’ offense sputtered, Jones began to freelance and play outside of O’Brien’s system, and as Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal observes, Jones simply lost the locker room.
After he was benched in favor of Bailey Zappe, Jones watched every NFL game he ever played in to see what went wrong, and he ultimately acknowledged that his improvisational tactics were a major reason for the offense’s struggles. Given his status as a 2021 first-rounder and the potential he showed that season, Jones may draw some trade interest, but as Mark Daniels unsurprisingly reports, the Patriots will not exercise Jones’ fifth-year option if he is still on the club by the May 2 deadline to pick up or decline those options.
Yes, please pass on a good crop of QB prospects, and hope you finish with another high draft pick in 2025. While there are no guarantees, until they hit on picking a solid offensive leader, nothing else really matters.
Trading down could make a lot of sense for them. I’m not sure I buy drafting Daniels #3 overall, especially for a team that would have so many holes around him. Harrison, Alt, or Fashanu would make sense, but if someone else in the top ten is willing to pony up for number three, and they could accumulate extra draft capital while still getting either one of the top two tackles or one of the top three receivers, I think they’re a great trade down candidate. They’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do.
Jones should only fetch a conditional 7th round pick if he makes the teams roster week 1.
Vikings make some sense here.
So many possibilities. Who would even make a move for Mac jones who’s a)doesn’t already have a franchise or bridge guy and b) who won’t look to draft a QB in the draft? Off the top of my head, maybe Bucs sign Mac to replace or backup Baker and trade Trask to patriots for a a day 3 pick?
A good QB can thrive if he has talent supporting him. We’ll see that on display tonight w/ Purdy. Saw it w/ Baker this year as well. The Pats should take that pick and trade back as much as possible for picks this year and next. And then settle in on ‘tier 2’ QB in this draft. Let him compete for the stating job against a tested vet. Expect a sour season, but be loaded w/ picks in the offseason.
Besides this ranking of rookie QB’s each year is a crap shoot. ‘Generational’ T Lawrence is decent after 3 years. Young this year. Z Wilson and Trey Lance are all recent examples of ‘highly talented’ QB’s that have the bust label on them.
@arty, and some just need a change of scenery, e.g Tannenhill, Geno, Alex Smith. ita crazy the 49ers trade up to get Lance and mister irrelevant leads them to the SB. granted they made some great picks and trades that enabled them to be in this great position.
Mac Jones to the Jets for Zach Wilson, straight up — after the Jets upgrade their offensive line.
Interesting!!!! change of scenery might just help both. Neither one had great receiving corps…..
Daniels is not #3 pick good, smart to trade.
Daniels isn’t worth #3 but whoever is left on the board out of Caleb Williams, Derek Maye and Marvin Harrison Jr are all worthy of that pick. If the Pats are fortunate enough to get Harrison at 3 with Williams and Maye going 1 and 2 then there’s still going to be a couple guys in the Michael Penix, Bo Nix, JJ McCarthy, Shedeur Sanders group available at the top of the second round.
Sanders is going back to school for his senior year.
Like to see the pats target a WR then OT. Be happy with Harrison at #3 or a trade back for Odunze.
I’m sure that they would like to trade Mac Jones.
Yes .. you can absolutely take Jayden at 3 ,
And they can and should move on from Mac , probably during day 2-3 .. someone is gonna miss out on a QB and their gonna talk themselves into Mac for atleast a year
Jones was Belichick’s QB, drafted. for the Patriots shake they have to give their new HC his choice of QB’s drafted for, traded for, or keep what they have.
Simple solution is trade the #3 for Fields and the #9.
The Bears will be lucky to get a 2nd Rounder for Fields – most likely a 3rd.
I would get Harrison jr with the number three pick couple O-Line guys and grab Bo Nix in the late rounds he’s a sleeper I think he’s gonna be a good QB and see what you can get for Jones!!
Heard Bo Nix height was a big concern at the senior bowl.
The Steelers would do well to at least give a call to see what the price is on Mac Jones. The same goes for Fields and any other QB available.
Any Trade of the Patriots pick #3 should net the other teams first, a 2nd and a first in 2025 as well as a 3rd in 2025.
Only if your trading up from #20 or later.