Report: Patriots still have interest in bringing back Jonathan Jones
The 29-year-old has spent the entirety of his seven-year career with New England.
The Patriots chose not to place their franchise tag on cornerback Jonathan Jones prior to Tuesday’s deadline.
The decision allows for the 29-year-old Jones to hit free agency, but according to Ian Rappaport, this does not mean that New England doesn’t want him back.
When asked earlier this offseason about returning to the Patriots, Jones was hopeful the two sides could come to a deal.
The franchise tag his salary for next season would have been just over $18 million, a steep price for a soon-to-be 30-year-old cornerback.
Due to the top salaries of players like Jalen Ramsey and Jaire Alexander, teams don’t often extend the tags to cornerbacks. The last team to do it was the Rams in 2017 when they tagged Trumaine Johnson for the second year in a row.
In terms of what he’ll make as a free agent, Jones is expected to receive between $10 and $15 million on a two-year deal.
If the Patriots do decide to bring him back, they’ll be returning one of their top defenders from last season.
2022 was one of the best of Jones’s seven years in New England. He posted career bests in interceptions, forced fumbles, completion percentage allowed, yards per target, and passer rating against.
If Jones gets a better deal elsewhere or the Patriots simply want to go in a different direction at the position, the team does have options to choose from this offseason.
New England has been linked to multiple corners in this April’s NFL Draft, where they will have the 14th overall selection.
At the combine the team met with Penn State corner Joey Porter Jr., who called them a “pretty great organization” and was previously projected to be picked by them in a mock draft.
The Patriots have also been linked to Illinois’ Devin Witherspoon, who Mel Kiper predicted the team would pick in his January mock draft.
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