6 rings and football things: Patriots free agency premier: One star player to keep an eye on & assessing the biggets needs for the Pats in FA
The Mac Jones era in New England has officially come to an end.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots have traded the former No. 15 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick. Four teams were in on trading for Jones, per NFLN's Ian Rapoport.
New England will receive the 192nd overall pick in exchange for Jones, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Here's a look at their updated draft capital:
-- 1st round: No. 3
-- 2nd round: No. 34
-- 3rd round: No. 68
-- 4th round: No. 102
-- 5th round: No. 136
-- 6th round: No. 179
-- 6th round: No. 192 (via Jaguars, Mac Jones)
-- 7th round: No. 231 (via Bears, N'Keal Harry)
A first-round pick out of Alabama in 2021, Jones took the Patriots to the playoffs as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate. Since then, however, both he and his team have struggled mightily on offense. After a sub-par 2022, Jones threw 12 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns over his first 11 games in 2023, notching a passer rating of just 77 (a career-worst) and a QBR of 36.7 -- just the 28th highest in football. He was benched permanently for Bailey Zappe heading into Week 13.
He now heads home to Jacksonville, where he grew up and attended high school at the Bolles School, where he'll have the opportunity to sit behind incumbent starter Trevor Lawrence before hitting free agency in the spring of 2025.
The Patriots' quarterback room now consists of Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke. According to MassLive, their plan is to sign a veteran quarterback on the free agent market and select a rookie with the No. 3 overall pick.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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