3/6/23 by Nick Antonakas
BOSTON – New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones may be drawing some trade interest from the Las Vegas Raiders, coached by Jones’ former offensive coordinator in New England back in 2021, Josh McDaniels. Dan Graziano of ESPN reported that there was apparent chatter surrounding the trade rumors based on conversations he reportedly had at the NFL combine. Graziano went on to note that “it seems unlikely” the Patriots would go through with trading Jones this offseason.
Jones, the Patriots 15th overall pick at the 2021 NFL draft, is coming off of a decently worse season than he had in his rookie campaign, throwing just 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. While Jones struggled with an ankle injury throughout the season, Patriots fans weren’t happy with the QB’s sophomore season.
What most disappointed fans failed to realize was the atrociously worse offensive scheme Jones was walking into without an official offensive coordinator at the helm of New England’s offense in 2022. While the Patriots’ offensive play caller, Matt Patricia, faced plenty of scrutiny throughout the season and onward until it was announced New England would be moving on from him, those wanting Jones gone are failing to make the connection between his struggles and Patricia’s horrible coaching.
To say New England moving on from the promising youngster in Jones would be a horrible mistake is an understatement. While 2022 definitely wasn’t a season anyone wanted Mac to have, jumping the gun and ending the Jones experiment just two short years in would be a detrimental mistake on the Patriots’ part.
NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran also pushed back against the claims, exclaiming that Jones would “absolutely, positively not” be traded. “That would happen over Robert Kraft’s dead body. We’ll talk about that in 2024 if it’s another mediocre season.”
New England hopes to add some pieces this offseason to help Mac Jones and the offense in 2023, starting with NFL Free Agency that kicks off at the start of the new league year on March 15th.