What will the Patriots do with rookie Mac Jones?
The No. 15 overall pick could start Week 1, or the team could wait a little bit and go with veteran Cam Newton. It does seem at some point the rookie will start this season, it's just a matter of when.
Speaking on the "GM Shuffle" podcast, former Patriots executive Mike Lombardi believes the team should be patient with him.
“If you’re Belichick, do you put Mac in to start the season?” Lombardi said. “And then if Mac struggles and doesn’t look good, are you going to bench him? And then how will you get him back again? How do you renew his confidence? You’re better off being patient. You’re better off letting the crops in the field grow. You’re better off letting it have a little more time to sink its roots.”
Lombardi was on site for Tuesday's Patriots-Eagles joint session and he believes the final two preseason games will be more "eye-opening" than in the past.
“I think Week 2 (of the preseason), in talking to the coaches — I spent Tuesday (with) the Patriots, talking to the coaches from there, talking to the Eagle coaches — they’ve got to get their guys ready to go,” Lombardi said. “Some of these preseason games are going to be a little bit more — especially the third one — a little bit more eye-opening than perhaps we saw in the past.”
Newton started and played the first two series last week against Washington, and then Jones came in and played the next five (the first with mostly starters).
