02 March 2023 , 13:13
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There's still some suggestion that the New England Patriots could part ways with quarterback Mac Jones, following the short success of Bailey Zappe last season.
Zappe came in for Jones after the starting quarterback picked up an injury, and even replaced him on his return after he threw two interceptions in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears. Jones then retained his starting role, but reportedly frustrated head coach Bill Belichick with his attitude at times during the rest of the season.
Multiple franchises are looking for new quarterbacks, and if the Patriots are losing faith in Jones then they could receive some draft capital if they were to negotiate a trade. It's also been claimed that internally, the gap in ability between Zappe and Jones isn't seen as very large.
Belichick is one of the most experienced NFL coaches of all-time, and no one has conducted more Super Bowl wins than him. Sure, Tom Brady may have helped with that, but Belichick knows what he wants in a quarterback, and Jones may not be ticking all of the boxes.
Sports Illustrated journalist Albert Breer discussed this on The Sports Hub's "Zolak and Bertrand", and thinks that Belichick could push for a trade following the events that happened last season. "I think they would," Breer said.
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"Internally, I don't know if they see this massive gap between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. I'm not saying they think Bailey's as good as Mac, but there was some element of Bailey doing what he was coached to do last year that I think gave Bailey the edge to some degree for a little while there."
Bailey Zappe put Jones' position in jeopardy last seasonBut outside of their raw talent, Breer thinks that Belichick is upset with how Jones acted last year, and it could influence their decision. "I don't think Bill appreciated the way that Mac handled some of the stuff last year," Breer added.
"There's a way that I think Bill thinks a franchise quarterback should conduct himself. And for the most part, (Tom) Brady did conduct himself that way. I think there were certain things in the way that Mac handled his second year as a pro that Bill didn't appreciate."
It's still likely that Jones will remain with the Patriots, but Breer thinks they could be tempted if the right offer came their way. "So I think it'll be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer came along. I don't think a real offer is going to come along, but it'd be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer did come along."