One of the more plugged-in Patriots insiders can't see New England trading Mac Jones this offseason.
General Jones trade rumors started to flare up once the 2022 NFL season wrapped up, as is customary around the league any time a starting quarterback's struggles reach a glaring level. But the theories started to get more specific as the offseason unraveled, with the Josh McDaniels-coached Las Vegas Raiders being floated as a potential landing spot for Jones.
Late last month, Tom E. Curran claimed an offseason Jones trade would happen "over Robert Kraft's dead body." The NBC Sports Boston pundit addressed the topic again Tuesday on WEEI's "Gresh & Fauria" radio show, and while his comments weren't as strong as the previous remarks, his stance did not change.
From Curran, as transcribed by Audacy:
When I hear chatter, again, I think chatter means that some GM or Assistant GM is sitting there on his eighth Truly saying, 'You know, I wouldn't be surprised.' And, OK, where is he hearing this? He's probably hearing it from us, and we keep bringing it up, based upon very little.
What would it take? Would a first-round pick from the Raiders, the (seventh) overall, entice Bill Belichick to move on from Mac Jones? Is Anthony Richardson better, for instance, than Mac Jones in Year 3, to give them a better chance to give Robert Kraft what he wants -- which is a playoff appearance -- or Bryce Young, or any of those quarterbacks?
Because in my estimation, 2020 was a reset the Patriots expected, 2022 was a reset they didn't expect. If they're going to say yeah, this kid that we thought was outstanding last year, we screwed him up and now we want to move on from him so we can reset again -- seems like a bridge too far to me, even if a first-round pick was dangled.
Even if the Patriots don't move Jones, that doesn't guarantee he will be New England's starter come Week 1 of the 2023 season. The franchise's reported feelings about Bailey Zappe indicate there could be a legitimate quarterback competition in Foxboro this summer.
