FOXBORO, Mass. -- The newest members of the Patriots are saying all the right things about Mac Jones.
On Tuesday, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said the "sky's the limit" for the third-year quarterback, who faced immense criticism during and after his sophomore campaign. And tight end Mike Gesicki, New England's other marquee free agent addition, followed suit Thursday during his first meeting with Patriots reporters.
"Really cool dude," Gesicki said when asked about Jones. "Cool personality. Love the energy and the juice that he brings in practices and throwing sessions and stuff. Obviously, great arm, accurate, all that kinda stuff."
Then, with a laugh, Gesicki added: "Make sure I check all the boxes 'cause I know everybody's gonna want to talk about it."
Gesicki, who also said it's been "awesome" to work with Bailey Zappe, offered insight into recent offseason throwing sessions with Jones.
"It was cool," he said. "I came up here and he had reached out to me, ended up staying over at his house. Just getting to know him and kind of building that relationship, that chemistry. It was cool, it was a good opportunity.
"Bailey was out there that day, too. So, it was good for a lot of guys to just gain camaraderie and get to work."
Gesicki in March signed a one-year deal with the Patriots that could be worth up to $9 million. The 27-year-old is more of a receiver than a true tight end, but he nevertheless could form a strong one-two punch with Hunter Henry.
Gesicki's best season came in 2021 when he caught 73 balls for 780 yards and two touchdowns with the Dolphins. He struggled last season while seeing his role reduced in Mike McDaniel's offense, catching just 32 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns while playing 17 games.
