FOXBORO, Mass. — Earlier this week, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made the season-defining choice to cut Cam Newton and hand the starting quarterback job to rookie Mac Jones.
That decision seems to have the approval of the Patriots’ locker room.
Multiple New England players on both sides of the ball raved about Jones after Thursday’s practice, saying the first-round draft pick is ready for the QB1 spotlight.
“Mac Jones — he’s going to be that guy,” cornerback J.C. Jackson said. “I mean, he’s a rookie, but he plays like a vet. The way he reads defenses, the way he steps up in the pocket, delivers the ball, he’s improved since the first time I saw him.”
Defensive back Jalen Mills remarked on Jones’ pre-snap acumen, explaining how the young signal-caller is able to correctly decipher defenses and audible into more advantageous play calls.
“I think the biggest thing,” Mills said, “is when you see the offense may have a play called, there may be a motion or you see a guy flinch where it may be a blitz, and you see him go to the line of scrimmage and make a different type of check. That’s what you want to see from not only a young guy, but your quarterback in general.
“They have predicated call, and he sees that the defense is attacking them in a certain type of way and he changes the whole offense to a play that helps him get in a better position.”
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne said Newton’s “energy will definitely be missed” but that choosing Jones was “the best thing for the team.”
Jones’ handling of the two-minute drill, Bourne said, is one of his most impressive traits. Several of Jones’ best drives during the preseason came when New England used tempo and simulated two-minute situations.
“He just seems so relaxed making his adjustments,” Bourne said. “We’re moving fast, but it’s slowed down. He’s just seeing it well, and that’s what’s key. He’s making the right reads, going through the progressions well to get to the open person. … Just the adjustments he’s been making. Josh (McDaniels) sets up to change plays, but for (Jones) to see what’s going on to make the play change, that’s what’s key. And he’s seeing it well, so he’s putting us in the best position to make the plays.”
Bourne said he’s seen a “different kind of urgency” from Jones since the 22-year-old Alabama product officially was installed as the stater on Tuesday. He’ll make his first NFL start next Sunday when the Patriots host the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.
“But from just what I’ve seen through camp and these last few days, he’s locked in,” the wideout said. “He’s poised. He seems ready for the moment. … For any starter, I think you feel that pressure, but he’s built for it, man, since Bama. I think he’s more ready than anybody even really knows.”
