'Restructure': New England Patriots Plan Revealed to Trade Mac Jones, Draft QB?

A new report from an NFL insider recently reveals the New England Patriots' "restructure" plan to replace quarterback Mac Jones.

The New England Patriots are 2-9, and per the latest reports a change at quarterback could finally be in the works. After he was benched in the Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Mac Jones managed to retain his starting job in last Sunday's loss to the New York Giants until he was benched again at halftime. 

That could have been his last stand, as the open media portion of Wednesday's practice saw Jones merely a spectator as Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham took the reps at quarterback. Which begs the question: What's next for Jones?  

Even if he isn't the starter, it is expected Jones will remain with the Patriots for the final six games. But his future beyond this season is uncertain. A new report, in fact, says his time in Foxboro is likely running out.

"I'll go 20 percent," ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler recently wrote about the chances Jones is still on the Patriots roster next season. That, of course, means an NFL expert believes there is an 80-percent chance Jones is not the Pats' starting quarterback in 2024.

Wrote Fowler, "Jones could be hard to move via trade, and his $2.8 million guaranteed salary for 2024 would be an empty cost should the Patriots release him. But my sense is the Patriots want to totally reconstruct the position by adding a veteran free agent and a draft pick. That leaves little room for Jones."

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones could be on a new team next season / Clutchpoints

As things currently stand, the Patriots are projected to have the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which would certainly land them a top-rated quarterback. However, for a roster with plenty of other holes, the Patriots could opt to use that pick to strengthen another position. 

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Combine that possibility with the fact that OverTheCap projects the Patriots to have the second-most cap space this offseason at $91 million. They should have more than enough to sign a proven starter. 

Kirk Cousins, currently of the Minnesota Vikings, looks set to be the top quarterback available in free agency and could be an intriguing target for the Patriots. However, the big question surrounding any potential signing of Cousins would be about how fast the Patriots could build the team back into a contender. 

At 35 years old, Cousins is quickly approaching the end of his career, and if he is to leave Minnesota, he will likely want to join a playoff contender. 

Other names that could be available include Josh Dobbs, Baker Mayfield, Jameis Winston, Ryan Tannehill, and Gardner Minshew. This gives the Patriots plenty of options, as they will undoubtedly want to settle their quarterback situation quickly.

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