The New England Patriots have been losing a lot of late, and they might be set to lose one of their key contributors on defense. Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones will be a free agent at the end of the 2022 season. Recently, a reader asked The Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard if he thought the Patriots would pay to keep Jones.
Bedard replied: “I think he’s gone. He saw what JC (J.C. Jackson’s five-year, $82.5 million from the Los Angeles Chargers) got and now has shown he can play outside.”
Jones, 29, isn’t likely to command a contract in the range of what Jackson received. However, with cornerback as a premier position in a pass-first NFL, there is a good bet Jones will be paid handsomely for what has proved to be a resurgent season.
Based on the Patriots’ history, it doesn’t seem like they would be willing to outbid another NFL team for Jones’ services.
Patriots’ Jonathan Jones Will Be One of the Most Coveted Free-Agent CBs in 2023
Jones was limited to just six games in 2021 because of an injury. The undrafted free agent, the Patriots, signed out of Auburn in 2016 didn’t just come back strong from his injury; he also proved he could be more than a slot corner.
Playing mostly in the boundary role for the Patriots in 2022, Jones is having one of his best seasons. According to Pro Football Reference, Jones scored the only TD of his career thus far, and his 53% completion percentage against is the lowest in his career. Jones is also playing the highest snap count of his career at 83% while still playing 26% of New England’s special teams plays.
Having posted this kind of season, a cornerback-hungry team with cap space might be inclined to pay Jones1 a hefty salary. The Chicago Bears could certainly use a veteran corner to match with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and they are projected to have $124 million in cap space in 2023, per Over the Cap.
Patriots fans may want to keep an eye on the Bears, as they could also be a threat to snatch Jakobi Meyers away in free agency.
Recapping the Patriots’ Latest Loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
The Patriots’ offense again looked abysmal most of the game on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals in a heartbreaking 22-18 loss. The defense made adjustments in the second half to not only hold Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense scoreless after halftime but also scored New England’s first points on a 69-yard pick-six from Marcus Jones.
No matter what happens in the final two games of the regular season for the Patriots, the play of Jones will be one of the major bright spots this season. He has established himself as one of the team’s top two playmakers along with Rhamondre Stevenson. Some would prefer to see the quarterback occupy one of those spots, but that hasn’t been the case for the Patriots.
Mac Jones completed 21 of 33 passes for 240 yards and 2 TDs. His second TD pass was a gift after a deflection had the ball land in Meyers’ hands in the endzone one a desperation heave. Kendrick Bourne (6 catches for 100 yards) had a fantastic performance making multiple acrobatic catches to help put his team in a position to win. The final drive ended with an ill-timed fumble from Stevenson as the Patriots had a chance to steal the win.
The stagnation on offense caused fans at Gillette Stadium to resume the chants for Bill Belichick to bring in backup quarterback Bailey Zappe. Belichick stuck with Jones, and the Patriots nearly pulled off the comeback.
Moving forward, Belichick has to make the tough decision about his offensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, and Jones. Perhaps the truth is neither is the best fit for leading the Patriots back to relevancy.
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Patriots Predicted to Lose Veteran DB in Free Agency: ‘He’s Gone’, Says Analyst