Patriots Pushed to Trade Key Defender

The New England Patriots may be left with no choice but to trade this key defender before the NFL trade deadline.

Dec 12, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones (31) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots will have some difficult decisions to make before the NFL trade deadline, and one of them will be deciding what to do with cornerback Jonathan Jones.

Jones has been with the Patriots since 2016, but the veteran is in the final year of his deal. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a rebuilding New England squad to keep the 31-year-old aboard, so trade speculation has been swirling around him.

Sean T. McGuire of NESN thinks the best move for the Pats would be to part ways with Jones, even if it would represent the end of an era.

"Will Jones re-sign in New England knowing that’s the case? Do the Patriots intend to re-sign him knowing they have so many more pressing needs than cornerback? If not, the Patriots need to get what they can now," McGuire wrote.

McGuire added that Jones may be New England's "most desirable piece" and that he would likely fetch a better return than edge rusher Josh Uche, whom the Pats dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs for a sixth-round draft pick.

Plenty of teams around the league are in need of cornerback help, and while Jones isn't a Pro Bowler, he is a reliable presence who has big-game experience.

The Auburn product—who actually went undrafted before landing with the Pats nearly a decade ago—has helped the Patriots win a couple of Super Bowl championships.

Through the first eight weeks of 2024, Jones has logged 28 tackles, a forced fumble and three passes defended. He registered 48 tackles and seven passes defended last season.

New England seems likely to move multiple pieces over the next week, and Jones could very well be one of them.

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