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The New England Patriots defense has performed well so far this season, but they have a chance to get even better.
Coming off a shutout of the Detroit Lions in Week 5, making a trade to improve the defense wouldn’t be the first thing on the minds of Patriots fans. The entire defensive unit as a whole looked impressive including the continued dominance of New England’s secondary.
But one analyst believes that the Patriots would be the easy answer when thinking about possible landing spots for cornerback William Jackson III. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire listed New England as the top destination for the 29-year-old.
“This is the obvious answer anytime there’s a good man cornerback potentially on the open market, and for good reason,”- Farrar wrote. “Bill Belichick and his staff have a long history (of) making the most of man cornerbacks in their schemes — rookie Jack Jones is but the most recent example. Interestingly enough, the Patriots have three cornerbacks this season — Jack, Jonathan, and Marcus — who have played very well in New England’s high rate of man coverage. But as the Patriots have allowed four touchdowns to just one interception in man coverage this season, per Sports Info Solutions, why not add a Jackson to the mix?”
Why Does Jackson Want Out of Washington?
Even though Jackson just signed a massive three-year, $42 million deal with the Commanders, the cornerback wants a fresh start according to Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero.
“Sources say the former big-ticket, free-agent cornerback would like a new home, and the Commanders have engaged in trade talks centered around him with hopes of making that happen,” they wrote. “There has been interest in Jackson from several teams, sources say.”
Even though Jackson wants a new home, the trio of reporters reported that the cornerback isn’t necessarily upset at his current team.
Once a key cog in the Commanders’ secondary, Jackson is not frustrated specifically with the team,” they wrote. “Rather, he considers himself more of a man-to-man cornerback and Washington has run a lot of zone thus far. When Jackson signed, he envisioned himself as a true lockdown corner, covering a team’s top receiver. It hasn’t worked out that way. Now, Jackson could find himself with a new home.”
How Has Jackson Performed In the NFL?
The cornerback is in the middle of his sixth NFL season. In 75 games played, Jackson has racked up 205 tackles, five interceptions, and a sack per Pro Football Reference. So far this season, Jackson has appeared in four games and has racked up 16 tackles and two passes defended.
If the Patriots were to acquire Jackson, he would join an already impressive secondary with the likes of Jonathan Jones, Jalen Mills, and Jack Jones leading the way. With Jackson’s superb man-coverage ability, he would be a great addition to New England’s defense.
Still the question of will the Patriots be willing to give up the assets required to acquire Jackson remains to be answered. What will work in New England’s favor is that the cornerback has two years left on his current deal, and his 2023 cap hit is $15.75 million.