What Mac Jones’s value reportedly might be if the Patriots trade him
It doesn't seem like Jones would get the Patriots much in return in a possible trade.
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Mac Jones seems likely to be on his way out of New England this offseason, with the biggest question being how will the Patriots cut ties with him.
If Jones is traded, it doesn’t appear that he’ll net much in return. Three front-office executives believe trading Jones would get the Patriots a fifth-round pick while a member of an AFC team thinks New England “might be lucky” to get a sixth-round pick for Jones, the Boston Herald‘s Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan reported.
That reported value for Jones is in between what Trey Lance and Joshua Dobbs landed their former teams in trades this past season. The 49ers received a fourth-round pick from the Cowboys for Lance ahead of the season after the 2021 No. 3 overall pick fell to third-string on San Francisco’s depth chat. The Cardinals received a sixth-round pick from the Vikings for Dobbs while also giving up a conditional seventh-round pick ahead of the trade deadline last season.
However, that reported value for a possible Jones trade is much less than the draft capital the Patriots used to acquire him, showing how far the quarterback has fallen since his promising rookie season. Jones, who the Patriots selected with the No. 15 overall pick in 2021, struggled in each of the last two seasons, serving as a big reason why New England’s had one of the worst offenses in the league since the start of the 2022 season.
Jones’s struggles reached a tipping point in the 2023 season, getting benched four times before Bailey Zappe replaced him for good in Week 13. The third-year quarterback finished the season throwing more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (10) as he only had 2,120 passing yards in 11 games. The Patriots’ offense suffered as a result, ranking last in scoring en route to a 4-13 season.
Shortly after the year ended, reports emerged that the Patriots were likely to trade Jones this offseason even though he attended Jerod Mayo’s introductory press conference as the team’s next head coach and has been working out in the building.
Jones isn’t the only quarterback from his draft class who’s apparently getting underwhelming trade interest. Justin Fields has a “soft” trade market, according to The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini.
As for what the Patriots will do next at quarterback, they haven’t been linked to Fields. However, they “like” Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who’s set to become a free agent, Kyed reported earlier in the week.
The Patriots have also been heavily rumored to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick, with Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels being the leading possibilities if they go that route.
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