Mac Jones put together a fine rookie campaign, but the New England Patriots quarterback has plenty of work to do ahead of his sophomore season.
One item on that offseason checklist should be looking the part. Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison believes it should be a top priority for Jones, as a better, stronger body is essential for a team with legitimate postseason aspirations.
“The one thing I would say is he needs to work on his body, physically,” Harrison told Tom E. Curran on the “Patriots Talk Podcast,” as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “He has to to get stronger, because he looks weak and he looks frail. After this offseason, he should come back at least 10 pounds heavier, because that will helpful down the road in the season.”
Jones is on the same page as Harrison. Prior to his first Pro Bowl appearance, the 23-year-old acknowledged he needs to gain strength this offseason and also clean up his diet. It’s unfair to expect Jones to be the same kind of health and fitness freak that Tom Brady was and still is, but the young signal-caller definitely can improve his standing in that area.
Nonetheless, Harrison was impressed by Jones’ rookie season and he believes the Patriots can reach great heights with the Alabama product under center.
“Absolutely, just look at what he did as a rookie this year,” Harrison told Curran. “They were right there in the playoff hunt. They went to Buffalo (in the postseason) and didn’t have enough on the defensive side of the ball. I just didn’t think they were good enough overall as a team to compete with the Buffalo Bills. You can win with a quarterback who is smart, doesn’t turn the ball over, a run game, a good offensive line, a good defense. But you have to have those things in order to win.”
