Bring him back: Why Patriots need to re-sign Jonathan Jones
With all the talk about how the New England Patriots improved on the offensive side of the ball with adding Bill O’Brien and Adrian Klemm, nobody is talking about their defense.
Considering their defense was one of the top units in the NFL, especially in takeaways; there isn’t a lot to tweak. One area of tweaking is their current corner situation.
As of now, Jonathan Jones is an unrestricted free agent. The 29 year old corner had a really good season for the Patriots in 2022. As the number one corner, he won a lot of matchups against number one receivers.
So it’s pretty clear why the Patriots are hopeful to bring Jones back to Foxborough in 2023.
The Patriots front office might be on to something, as I also agree that the five-foot-10 corner needs to be back in New England come September.
New England Patriots getting a familiar corner in Jonathan Jones
One thing we’ve come to know about the Patriots organization is that they are big on familiarity. From the coaching staff, down to the players; they love knowing who they’re bringing into the building.
The Patriots are very familiar with Jonathan Jones work. In 2022, the corner played and started in all 16 games. He had his best season of his career with four interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, three forced fumbles and 69 total tackles.
Plus, think about some of the wide receivers he had to cover throughout the 2022 season. Jamar Chase, Michael Pittman, and Tyreek Hill are just a couple that he had to deal with on a weekly basis.
All in all, with the year Jones had; it’s a huge advantage for him to get another contract with the Patriots next season.
New England Patriots not having to overpay for Jonathan Jones
One of the best parts about a guy like Jonathan Jones is that the Patriots don’t have to overpay for his services.
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If the Patriots were to let Jones walk in free agency, then they might have to trade and potentially overpay for someone like Jalen Ramsey to become the number one corner. Why would they want to get rid of draft picks and limboing a restructure of a contract like that, when they can keep one of their own for probably cheaper?
Some team may overpay for the former Auburn Tiger. But if that’s the case, the Patriots would be smart to not break the bank when they have other needs to also address.
The bottom line with the New England Patriots and Jonathan Jones
The Patriots would look like fools to not bring back Jonathan Jones at the right price.
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Getting a cornerback in the draft could be risky, considering they drafted several last year. Trading/paying for one can take away from other necessities, like offensive tackle.
Bring back a guy that you know can cover number one receivers in Jonathan Jones. Jalen Mills and Myles Bryant are the answer. Jack Jones and Marcus Jones are still somewhat unproven.
Do the right thing here Bill. Bring 31 back to Foxborough!