Patriots Looking Smart To Let J.C. Jackson Walk In Free Agency

During his Tuesday morning Zoom call with reporters, Jerod Mayo was asked why some Patriots standouts are unable to maintain the same level of success after leaving New England.

“This must be a J.C. (Jackson) reference,” the linebackers coach replied.

Yes, it’s been that kind of season for Jackson, who parlayed his stellar four-year run with the Patriots into a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers this past March.

In New England, Jackson was an excellent No. 2 cornerback behind Stephon Gilmore, then a Pro Bowler after replacing Gilmore atop the depth chart last season. From the time he joined the Patriots as an undrafted rookie in 2018 through the end of the 2021 season, no NFL player registered more interceptions than Jackson’s 25, and only two had more passes defended.

But the early stages of Jackson’s Chargers tenure have been nothing short of disastrous. Six weeks in, he’s Pro Football Focus’ second-lowest-graded NFL cornerback, ranking 107th out of 108 qualifiers. He’s allowed 17 catches on 23 targets for 331 yards and three touchdowns, with quarterbacks posting a near-perfect 155.3 passer rating against him that’s second-worst among corners who have played at least 35 coverage snaps.

After grabbing eight interceptions and leading the NFL with 23 passes defended in his final season in Foxboro, Jackson has no picks and just one PBU so far for LA. He’s also missed two games following preseason ankle surgery, and on Monday night, he was benched at halftime of the Chargers’ 19-16 overtime win over the Denver Broncos after allowing a 39-yard touchdown, a 47-yard gain and committing pass interference on another deep ball at SoFi Stadium.

“It just wasn’t good enough in the first half, and we felt like we needed to make a change,” head coach Brandon Staley told reporters postgame. Staley also confirmed Jackson was the defender at fault on both of Denver’s big plays, which represented nearly half of Russell Wilson’s 188 passing yards.

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Some of Jackson’s issues likely are scheme-related. While the Patriots typically rank near the top of the NFL in man coverage usage, Staley’s defense favors more zone. Jackson clearly is struggling with that transition.

Could he improve as he continues to acclimate to his new system and surroundings? Sure. Gilmore, New England fans may remember, looked lost in his first month with the Patriots before eventually emerging become the best cornerback in football. But the Patriots’ decision to let Jackson walk — controversial at the time — now looks genius.

Rather than pay top dollar for Jackson or slap him with a one-year franchise tag, head coach Bill Belichick opted for a bargain approach at cornerback this offseason. He signed a pair of cheap free agents in Malcolm Butler and Terrance Mitchell and used mid-round draft picks on Marcus Jones (third round) and Jack Jones (fourth round). The Patriots also returned starter Jalen Mills and top slot options Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant from last season’s team, whose precariously shallow cornerback group finally collapsed in a 47-17 playoff loss in Buffalo.

Neither Butler nor Mitchell made the team out of training camp, but the Patriots have found a winning combination with this new star-less collection of corners. Jonathan Jones has largely excelled after moving from the slot to replace Jackson in the starting lineup. Jack Jones looks like a potential future Pro Bowler, flashing Jackson-esque traits with his takeaway abilities and fearless on-field demeanor. Marcus Jones has come on of late, showing the ability to play both inside and outside despite standing just 5-foot-8, 175 pounds. Mills struggled early as he dealt with a nagging hamstring injury but played his best game of the season in Sunday’s 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Jack Jones enters Week 7 as PFF’s top-graded corner, both overall and in coverage. Jonathan Jones, who missed the Browns game with an ankle injury, has the eighth-highest grade and third-highest coverage grade. The Patriots rank eighth in yards allowed per pass attempt, sixth in Football Outsiders’ pass defense DVOA and fourth in expected points added per dropback.

Time will tell whether this group can hold up against the parade of top-end receivers New England will face late this season (Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, Ja’Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, etc.). But to this point, their decision not to back up the Brinks truck for Jackson looks like a wise move.