6 Patriots Who Will Be Cut Next After Lawrence Guy and Adrian Phillips

2. Mac Jones, QB (trade candidate)

The way things have been handled with Mac Jones since he's been in New England have been atrocious to watch from the outside looking in.

The Patriots seemingly had a steal with Jones back in the 2021 season when Jones made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and legitimately outplayed all of his peers in the 2021 NFL Draft class, which featured Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields. Jones was considered somewhat of an afterthought compared to the more physically gifted players, but it was Jones who thrived as a rookie under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

The twist of fate that sent Jones's career the wrong direction was McDaniels accepting the head coaching gig in Las Vegas with the Raiders, which he's already been fired from, obviously.

The Patriots didn't do right by Jones and couldn't find a capable offensive mind to come in and help him continue to progress before it was too late. Now, New England is sitting at no. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft with a chance to grab a quarterback of the future again, and Jones is at a fork in the road.

Although he's not a cut candidate, Jones is an obvious trade candidate this offseason and I think there will be a market for him, especially if the Patriots are only asking for a Day 3 pick. They could save nearly $5 million by trading away his fully guaranteed salary, and they would also put the ball in someone else's court regarding picking up Jones's option for the 2025 season.