Patriots Starter Among NFL’s ‘Top Trade Targets’ Heading Into Week 1

Getty Head coach Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots.

Jonathan Jones is entering Year 9 with the New England Patriots. One analyst isn’t sure Jones will finish it in a Patriots uniform, however.

Jones, 31, signed a two-year, $19 million contract extension with New England in March of 2023, and he’s now in the final year of that deal. If the Pats elected to trade the veteran cornerback, they could save over $8.8 million in cap space while inheriting $3.75 million in dead money, per Over the Cap.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox compiled a list of  “the 10 top trade targets entering Week 1,” and he listed Jones as No.7. Knox believes as the 2024 season progresses, teams with CB issues coupled with New England’s need to build around rookie quarterback Drake Maye could lead to the team trading Jones.

“The reality is that the Patriots don’t have a strong offensive supporting cast, and it’s likely to be a very long season,” Knox wrote on September 4. “At some point, it may look to sell off capable defensive pieces who won’t directly impact Maye’s development, like cornerback Jonathan Jones.”

Patriots DB Jonathan Jones Makes Sense as Trade Chip

Jones has played in 115 games for the Patriots, starting 57. Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016, he has been a durable and reliable presence in the secondary.

Other than 2021, when he missed 11 games due to a shoulder injury, Jones has never missed more than three games in any of his eight years in the NFL.

Knox thinks that New England’s recent willingness to trade players in exchange for draft assets could also be telling.

“The Patriots already traded pass-rusher Matthew Judon, and while Jones didn’t enter a trade request as Judon did, the 30-year-old is an impending 2025 free agent,” Knox added, before naming a few teams he thinks could be suitors for the veteran DB’s services.

“Virtually any team in need of a proven starting corner would probably have some interest in Jones, but the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both playoff hopefuls who could be eager to swing a deal.”

It remains to be seen whether New England would be open to trading Jones, but considering he’s a pending free agent, it might be wise for the team to get a draft pick in return for him now, instead of watching him go in free agency with no return.

A Fast Start Will Be Key for QB Jacoby Brissett, Patriots

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo named veteran QB Jacoby Brissett the team’s starter over Maye on August 29.

“There are a lot of factors that led to this choice. The hard part is thinking in the short term and the long term at the same time,” Mayo said about the decision.

One of the most likely factors is the team’s shaky offensive line, which Mayo admits is still a work in progress. If New England gets off to a slow start with Brissett leading the way, trading away players such as Jones seems much more likely, as the season could be lost early.

The Patriots won’t have an easy go of it schedule-wise, either, as they face the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals all within the first five weeks of the season. Anything is possible, but it’s clear Brissett and company have their work cut out for them early.