[brid autoplay=”true” video=”854646″ player=”23231″ title=”3%20best%20landing%20spots%20for%20Cam%20Newton%20after%20being%20cut%20by%20New%20England%20Patriots” duration=”112″ description=”The New England Patriots didn’t want any quarterback controversy hovering over them entering the 2021 season, so they opted to roll with rookie Mac Jones and release Cam Newton on Tuesday.Newton doesn’t seem like the type of signal-caller who’d accept a backup job, but given how late he was cut, he has no other choice. His best-case scenario is latching on somewhere and competing for a QB1 spot in 2022. With that in mind, let’s look at Newton’s top three free-agent destinations.” uploaddate=”2021-08-31″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/854646_t_1630434436.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/854646.mp4″]
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made an unprecedented move during his legendary tenure several days ago, rolling with a rookie quarterback in Mac Jones as his Week 1 starter.
Not that anyone should question Belichick’s judgment at this point, but the move to release incumbent veteran Cam Newton in favor of Jones was, if nothing else, a bold one. Based on what several Patriots players are saying, though, it seems like once again, The Hoodie made the right call.
In a feature published Friday by Mark Daniels of The Providence Journal, he interviewed star cornerback J.C. Jackson, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and defensive back Jalen Mills. They all raved about Jones.
Jackson praised Jones’ ability to climb the pocket and read defenses, which are two traits hard to come by in first-year players.
“Mac Jones, he’s going to be that guy,” Jackson said. “I mean, he’s a rookie, but he plays like a vet.”
See where the Patriots fall in our latest NFL power rankings
The other praise showered on Jones by the likes of Bourne and Mills revolved around the former Alabama signal-caller’s high football IQ, and the composure and wherewithal to put the Patriots’ offense in ideal scenarios to thrive.
While Mills touched on how advanced Jones is in terms of making checks at the line of scrimmage and pre-snap reads, Bourne’s quotes in particular should have New England fans hyped up:
“He’s making the right reads going through the progressions well to get to the open person because sometimes they might double over here, Jonnu (Smith), and this is open over here so he has to see that and know to come to the 1-on-1 (matchup). […] Josh (McDaniels) sets us to change plays, but for him to see what’s going on to make the play change is key and he’s seeing it well. He’s putting us in the best position to make plays.
“[…] I think he’s more ready than anybody really knows. […] What I’ve seen throughout camp and these last few days – he’s locked in. He’s poised. He seems ready for the moment. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Once news broke that Jones would be the Patriots’ Week 1 starter, his odds for Offensive Rookie of the Year shortened considerably, as he’s now emerged as a very real contender.
Jones is going head-to-head with his Alabama predecessor, Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins to kick off his NFL career. It’s an AFC East rivalry game that could have huge playoff implications.
Mac Jones stats, 2021 outlook for the New England Patriots
- Mac Jones stats (Alabama, 2020): Completed 311 of 402 passing attempts (77.4%), 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, four interceptions, 203.1 passing efficiency rating
- Mac Jones stats (2021 New England Patriots preseason): 36-of-52 passing attempts (69.2%), 388 yards, 1 touchdown, zero interceptions, 97.3 passer rating
Many believed prior to the 2021 NFL Draft that Jones was very much a product of the system around him at Alabama. After all, the Crimson Tide have a factory of pro football talent down in Tuscaloosa, thanks to the legendary, arguable GOAT of college coaches, Nick Saban.
Combine that, funny enough, with Tagovailoa’s rookie-year struggles as a top-five pick from the previous draft, and Jones’ lack of dual-threat playmaking ability, and that’s how he fell to 15th overall.
Getting drafted in the middle of the first round is hardly an insult, yet Jones is going to have a chip on his shoulder after seeing four QBs selected ahead of him in Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields.
It suddenly looks like Jones might have the last laugh, because at least in Year 1, he’s in better position to succeed than any of his QB classmates. You could make an argument for Lance, but he has to beat out Jimmy Garoppolo first.
Jones will enjoy the luxury of two tight ends in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry who present mismatch problems for opposing defenses. One of Jones’ strengths is downfield accuracy, which should help on seam throws to Smith and Henry, and also mesh well with newly acquired wideout Nelson Agholor’s skill set.
Agholor, Bourne, Smith and Henry were all part of Belichick’s hyper-aggressive free agency spending initiative to upgrade the Patriots’ offensive talent. Now, New England seems to have the right field general at the controls.