(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots headed into draft weekend with Mac Jones as their starting quarterback.
While that should not be a surprise to many, he did not perform at a high-level last year.
In 14 games, Jones threw 14 touchdowns and had 11 interceptions.
There were some reports that Bill Belichick was shopping Jones this offseason.
But Jones was selected in the first round for a reason, and it appears they are going to stick it out with him.
According to Jim McBride, Belichick would not entertain any reports of him shopping Jones.
#Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he would “not respond to anonymous quotes” regarding reports the team was shopping Mac Jones. Belichick added he “absolutely” still feels the same way about Jones that he did last summer, when he was highly complimentary of the QB.
— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) April 29, 2023
It is not crazy for Belichick to be looking to replace Jones.
He lacks that upside that we see in other quarterbacks, and he is now the fourth-best quarterback in their division.
New England will have a very difficult time competing in the AFC with the version we saw of Jones last year.
One thing that can help Jones is that Bill O’Brien has stepped in as their offensive coordinator.
He is a legitimate play-caller and should improve the Patriots’ offense from what we saw last year.
The Patriots could also do a better job giving Jones some weapons to throw to.
Their skill players are not very good, and that limits the ceiling for Jones.
Next season may be a make-or-break year for Jones, so the Patriots better put him in the best position to succeed.
The post Bill Belichick Makes His Thoughts Clear About Mac Jones Trade Rumors appeared first on The Cold Wire.