What’s next for the Patriots’ secondary if they move on from Jack Jones?

If the Patriots cut Jack Jones, they could look internally for help at the cornerback position.

Jack Jones' days in New England could be numbered. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

June 20, 2023

3 minutes to read

Jack Jones’ time in Foxboro might be coming to an end.

The 25-year-old cornerback is due back in a Boston courthouse in August for a probable cause hearing following his arrest on gun charges last Friday.

It remains to be seen if Jones will still be on the Patriots’ roster by the time he’s scheduled to return to court later this summer.

If the Patriots do opt to cut ties with Jones at some point this offseason, it marks a major blow to what was looking like a stout defensive backfield for New England in 2023.

For most of New England’s OTA (organized team activity) sessions and minicamp, Jones was a standout performer as one of the Patriots’ two starting boundary corners next to rookie Christian Gonzalez.

Jack Jones does have ups tho.

Here’s a look at his vertical leap/ball skills. pic.twitter.com/wWVamSM1IX
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) June 13, 2023

So if Jones isn’t part of the equation when the Patriots’ open camp in late July, how can they reshuffle their secondary?

Look for outside help

This might be the most unlikely scenario, considering that the Patriots still have plenty of internal candidates in place to slot in for Jones at outside corner.

Marcus Peters is arguably the top corner available on the open market, with the four-time All-Pro still capable of playing on the outside for a team willing to pay up.

Still, Peters has been hampered by injuries over the last few years, including an ACL injury that ended his entire 2021 campaign with Baltimore. A report last week from The Athletic noted that the Raiders are “likely” to sign Peters before camp opens in July.

Ronald Darby is another potential option, but he is also coming off of an ACL injury that cut his 2022 season short with the Broncos. Denver opted to release Darby in March rather than let him play out the final year of his three-year contract.

New England could also look at a journeyman like Eli Apple, but the 27-year-old corner struggled to make much of an impact with the Bengals in 2022 after a solid first year in Cincinnati.

The Patriots are in a strong position to shore up any vacancies on their roster through free-agent signings. According to OverTheCap.com, New England still has $14.9 million in available cap space.

But whether it be saving that money for DeAndre Hopkins or using it elsewhere, the Patriots shouldn’t be pursuing the market for corners at or near 30 years old.

Jonathan Jones moves back to the outside

After six seasons as a top slot corner on New England’s defense, Jonathan Jones was bumped to the outside in 2022 to account for the departures of both Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson.

It was a tough ask for the 5-foot-10 Jonathan Jones to line up along the sidelines against some of the top wideouts in the league. But one of the few veteran leaders on an evolving Patriots secondary held his own in his augmented role last season.

During his 16 games in 2022, Jonathan Jones allowed 46 catches on 86 targets while recording four interceptions and five pass breakups.

The strong minicamp performances from both Gonzalez and Jack Jones offered up a tantalizing scenario where Jonathan Jones shifted back into his “natural” position at the slot in 2023.

But given Jack Jones’ murky future in New England, the Patriots could just as easily move back Jonathan Jones to the role he impressed in during the 2022 season, while giving the slot corner spot to second-year player Marcus Jones.

If Jonathan Jones is handed an outside corner role once again, he at least has more support in 2023 in the form of Gonzalez.

Still, Jonathan Jones is a proven asset that has served as a difference maker wherever New England slots him on defense.

Jalen Mills moves back to corner

With Devin McCourty hanging up his cleats during the offseason, Mills was expected to be one of many candidates set to earn reps at safety in 2023.

But if New England does shake up its secondary unit, Mills can easily move back to corner, where he spent his first two seasons with the Patriots.

Putting Mills on the boundary next to Gonzalez could once again open the door for Jonathan Jones to revert back to slot corner. A safety during some of his time with the Eagles, Mills can be a versatile tool in a New England defense anchored by a number of position-less “unicorns.”

There’s no question that the Patriots are at their best if Jack Jones and Gonzalez are making plays on the outside, given both their big-play ability and the resulting domino effect of good players getting pushed into roles that further fit their skillset (Jonathan Jones at the slot, for example).

But if the Patriots think that Jack Jones’ legal issues aren’t worth the trouble, New England still has options it can turn to in its secondary.

Conor Ryan

Sports Writer

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

What’s next for the Patriots’ secondary if they move on from Jack Jones?