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As of March 10th, the New England Patriots are working to finalize a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to send former starting quarterback Mac Jones to familiar territory within the AFC South. The Jaguars would be sending a 2024 6th-round pick for the former University of Alabama quarterback. The trade is pending Jones passing a team physical and the new league year beginning this coming Wednesday. On the heels of former head coach Bill Belichick's exit from the organization, his former 1st round pick looks to be following suit.
Mac Jones would be returning to a familiar scene upon arriving in Jacksonville. While a previous standout at The Bolles School in central Jacksonville where he grew up, Jones will be expected to fill a different role during this stint in northeast Florida backing up fellow 2021 first-round pick Trevor Lawrence. Jones is no stranger to coming off the bench when needed as he was benched on four separate occasions in his three-year career with New England. He was benched for good in week 12 of the 2023 NFL season following a seven-point outing against the equally impotent New York Giants. This concluded Jones' playing time with New England which saw him compile a record of 22-29 as a starter through three seasons, while posting 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. Jacksonville may not look to Jones to start, but he can be expected to fill a serviceable role as backup.
With New England possessing the 3rd overall pick in this April's upcoming draft, the team may be inclined to add to the QB room as many around the league expect. Highly rated prospects like University of North Carolina's Drake Maye and Louisiana State University's Jayden Daniels are expected to be amongst the Patriot's options in the first round. While there are many holes for rookie head coach Jerod Mayo to fill such as receivers, the offensive line, and the defensive secondary, it all starts with the quarterback. While this trade does not give New England a positive return, it allows them to take the first step towards a fresh start.
As for Jacksonville, the potential move is expected to create competition between the incoming Jones and the incumbent number two C.J. Beathard. While a second quarterback may not be the team's biggest concern heading into the 2024 season, it never hurts to have more than one viable option. Since entering the league as the number one overall pick in the 2021 draft, Trevor Lawrence has managed to start every game up until week 17 of this previous season due to an injured throwing shoulder. Although thus far resilient, Lawrence has dealt with nagging knee and ankle injuries in the past while leaving little room to question his endurance. With how important the backup quarterback position was to the 2023 season for many organizations, including some playoff teams, Jacksonville has made things more interesting amongst their fellow AFC opponents
All in all, both teams involved in this trade can expect to receive exactly what they asked for. New England gets yet another late-round draft pick, which they've been known to hit on with picks like Julian Edelman, Rob Ninkovich, and oh, Tom Brady. As for Jacksonville, they get a hometown kid who has a chance to further his playing career in his backyard while competing for a never-before more valuable position. Mac Jones gets the opportunity to compete for a job like he has before and New England turns the page on their quarterback.
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