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What is the best course of action for the New England Patriots after suffering a tough loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills on Saturday on Wildcard Weekend?
While most people are encouraging the Patriots and speaking of the team’s bright future, some are causing for the kinds of sweeping changes that will cause widespread double takes.
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Colin Cowherd Suggests the Patriots Should Trade Mac Jones
Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd thinks the Patriots are in a tough spot, and he is pointing to the presence of Josh Allen with the Bills.
Cowherd suggests Allen’s dynamic play will force the Patriots to bring in the kind of quarterback capable of winning a shootout. According to Cowherd, Jones isn’t that guy.
“Josh Allen in the last two games has been so devastating, unstoppable and jaw-dropping,” Cowherd said. “Could Belichick — and this was a great defense — be thinking, ‘I probably gotta trade Mac Jones, because if this is a gunfight, I’m not sufficiently armed’?”
Whoa, that escalated quickly. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would co-sign the Patriots trading Jones. Still, Cowherd continued.
“That was the best cold-weather performance I’ve ever seen by a quarterback,” Cowherd continued. “And Mac Jones, by the way … Mac wasn’t terrible. But the league has changed. Belichick is 70. Mac Jones has value. He is a free player for three years at the most vital position. You can win with Tua (Tagovailoa) and Mac Jones. And, for some organizations, that’s what they’re looking at.”
There is no disputing Jones has some value after a rookie season that will have him in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year. That’s exactly why trading him ahead of his second season would be the single most criticized move in Patriots history.
“Belichick wants Super Bowls. (Patrick) Mahomes, (Justin) Herbert, (Joe) Burrow, Josh Allen — good luck. Be absolutely a tier below,” Cowherd adds. “We talk Saints, Bears, Raiders. Is Belichick this morning, who has a history of moving off popular players, he would’ve moved off (Tom) Brady, looking at this and going, ‘OK, I gotta face (Allen) 10 times in the next five years, minimum’? This isn’t the Brady era where all of the quarterbacks and most of the coaches were stiffs.”
Here is a look at the entire clip from Cowherd:
Don’t be surprised if the Patriots look to move Mac Jones…
“Bill Belichick wants Super Bowls. Good luck being absolutely a tier below.” — @ColinCowherd
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The Patriots’ More Sensible Route to Improving
Trading Jones right now would be asinine.
Everyone in Patriots Nation needs to heal from the 30-point beatdown they suffered at the hands of the Bills, and then keep the 2021 season in the proper perspective.
The Patriots didn’t make the playoffs in 2020, and there were very few young players on the roster who figured to be a part of the team’s future.
Fast forward to this offseason, while the playoffs didn’t end the way anyone in the organization had hoped, there are several reasons for the Patriots and their fans to be optimistic.
Jones is the biggest reason for optimism. It would be foolish to summarize Jones’ ultimate level of effectiveness at such an early stage of his career. He’ll never morph into a dual-threat quarterback, but last time I checked, a guy named Tom Brady is re-writing the record books with the same limitation.
Jones doesn’t have to become the G.O.A.T to be a quarterback who can still lead the Patriots back to a Super Bowl win. New England also has young running back Rhamondre Stevenson, safety Kyle Dugger and defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
Those are potential Pro-Bowl performers on different aspects of the roster, and none of them has played more than two seasons in the NFL. The Patriots have the foundation and many of the most important pieces in place.
The best bet is to build around Jones’ skill set, lock in on getting faster in the linebacker group, and allowing this new nucleus to mature and reach its potential. If the Patriots do that, they will be able to compete with any team in the NFL–even Allen and the Bills.
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