Nearly every Patriots player would benefit from Lamar Jackson joining the Patriots. New England immediately would become a better football team, and that’s good for basically everyone in Foxboro.
But let’s play devil’s advocate anyway, shall we?
Obviously, we still have no idea whether Jackson will join the Patriots this offseason. All signs still point toward New England moving forward with Mac Jones as its starting quarterback, and the Ravens remain adamant about keeping Jackson in Baltimore. But with Jackson publicly requesting a trade and rapper Meek Mill apparently telling Robert Kraft the 2019 NFL MVP wants to play for the Patriots, the idea must be entertained.
We already went over six Patriots players who would stand to gain the most from a Jackson addition. Now, let’s go over players who would lose the most from the 26-year-old quarterback joining New England.
QB Mac Jones
Well, this is obvious. You could argue that Jones actually could benefit from a change of scenery, considering he’s only a few months removed from getting booed off his own field by a bunch of out-for-blood Patriots fans. Plus, it sounds like Bill Belichick wasn’t all that happy with him this season.
But the reality is that Jones joining a new team would subject him to his third offensive coordinator and system in as many years. That can be a death sentence for young quarterbacks.
WR Tyquan Thornton
The 2021 second-round pick endured an up-and-down rookie campaign. Thornton battled injuries, on-field struggles and personal turmoil. The coaching dysfunction didn’t help, either. But the Baylor product remains very talented and capable of developing into a weapon for the Patriots. The hope is that working with Bill O’Brien and further developing his chemistry with Jones will help Thornton tap into his potential.
However, if the Patriots were to add Jackson, Thornton would be starting from Square 1. Yes, the move to a fast, explosive offense could help New England better leverage Thornton’s skill set, but it also could further complicate things for a player who at times looked overwhelmed in 2022.
OT Trent Brown
First of all, given New England’s offensive line additions this offseason, you could make a case that Brown might be off the roster in the near future. If the Patriots want to add Jackson or even DeAndre Hopkins this spring, trading Brown and his $12.25 million salary cap hit would be a good place to start.
But if the Patriots add Jackson and still keep Brown? It might be tough sledding for the monstrous offensive tackle.
Brown is undeniably athletic for his size and is a capable run blocker, but he still lacks the mobility required to play tackle in a Jackson-led offense. Conditioning also has been a problem for Brown throughout his career, and playing with Jackson demands a significant amount of stamina. It’s easy to envision Brown struggling with Jackson as his quarterback.
TE Mike Gesicki
Jackson has a history of developing strong rapport with receiving-first tight ends like Mark Andrews. So, he and Gesicki theoretically could do well together. And the Patriots signed Gesicki knowing his shortcomings as a blocker.
But you can’t really hide a poor blocking tight end in an offense run by the game’s most mobile quarterback. At some point, Gesicki would need to block in open space, something he’s never shown a strong ability to do. His failure to adjust to Mike McDaniel’s zone-heavy scheme is the main reason why fizzled out with the Miami Dolphins.
Impending free agents
The Patriots have a ton of players set to hit free agency in 2024, including homegrown products Mike Onwenu, Josh Uche and Kyle Dugger. Rhamondre Stevenson also will be entering a contract season, as will Christian Barmore.
Landing Jackson would mean signing on for one of the richest quarterback contracts in the NFL, if not the richest. Doing so surely would prevent New England from re-signing some of its rising stars.
