Mac Jones continuing to get workouts in with training camp nearing

Mac Jones put together another workout on Friday.

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New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has been busy this offseason. He has been working out with teammates on numerous occasions in preparation for the 2022 campaign.

Jones was in the Dallas area last Friday with running back Rhamondre Stevenson and receivers Lil’ Jordan Humphrey and Kristian Wilkerson. The workout also featured former Arkansas Pine Bluff receiver Tyrin Ralph and Trejan Bridges. The latter was a teammate of Stephenson’s at Oklahoma.

Following the workout, Humphrey posted a picture on his Instagram.

This could be important work for Wilkerson in particular. He is in his third season with the Patriots and is going to have to make his mark in a crowded wide receivers room. He caught four passes for 42 yards in two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars back in January.

As the Patriots look to move back atop the AFC East, Jones is showing that he is doing whatever he can to make it happen.

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Ex-Patriot Jason McCourty sees coaching changes as a negative for Mac Jones

Jason McCourty is not optimistic about New England’s changes on offense.

The Patriots had a busy offseason, with many moves drastically changing the outlook of the team. One of those moves involved the coaching staff, as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left New England for the head coaching position with the Las Vegas Raiders. This may not be a good thing, according to the opinion of one former Patriot.

New England has yet to name an offensive coordinator to replace McDaniels. Joe Judge and Matt Patricia look to be in prime position to help lead the offense. Judge most recently served as the team’s special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2019.

Patricia has taken on defensive coaching roles during his time with the Patriots. His last stint on the offensive side of the football came in 2005. He was New England’s assistant offense of line coach that season before becoming the linebackers coach in 2006.

With that in mind, former Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty sees these changes negatively affecting Mac Jones, as transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

“You’ll never hear anybody [on the team] say anything in the media … but it’s definitely going to be a big thing. It has to be,” McCourty said during his recent guest-hosting appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show. “If you’re Mac Jones … who’s the guy you go to and say, ‘I want to run these plays this week’?”

It will be intriguing to see how the offense is structured, particularly as Jones and the organization as a whole looks to make strides after a promising 2022 season. With a revamped wide receiver group, and a full offseason under his belt, this could be the year in which Jones takes the next step and helps elevate New England back to the top. What that may look like and how that may get done is anybody’s guess.

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Mac Jones shows off impressive, slimmer physique in Instagram story

Mac Jones has put on some muscle over the offseason.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has been able to enjoy a full off-season for the first time in his career. It seems he is making the most of it.

Jones’ girlfriend Sophie Scott posted a photo on her Instagram story Thursday in which he has a slimmer physique, and appears to have added quite a bit of muscle.

This is an encouraging development for the Patriots organization and fans alike. Jones will be looking to take the next step in his sophomore season, in what has become a crowded AFC East division. he has already worked out with some wide receivers over the past couple of months, most recently on Wednesday with Nelson Agholor and Tre Nixon.

Time will tell if this leads to positive results on the field. Nevertheless, a slimmer Jones could lead to success for the Patriots.

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Mac Jones teams up with Patriots WRs Nelson Agholor, Tre Nixon for workout

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones teamed up with two wide receivers on Wednesday.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had a throwing session on Wednesday, with training camp on the horizon.

Wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Tre Nixon joined the quarterback. Agholor recorded 37 catches for 473 yards and three touchdowns last year in what was considered a down season.

Nixon is trying to make a name for himself in what is becoming a crowded wide receivers room. It appears as if he’s on the right path. ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote a story earlier this week that explained how Nixon was impressive over the course of minicamp.

Jones has held several workouts with his receivers over the course of this off-season. He even managed to get some work in with wide receiver DeVante Parker, shortly after the latter came over from Miami.

As Jones looks to improve upon his rookie season, he is trying to make sure that everybody is on the same page.

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Jonnu Smith heavily praises Mac Jones, while detailing the ‘dog’ in him

Jonnu Smith has full confidence in the Mac Jones entering his sophomore season.

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Mac Jones is everything New England Patriots fans could’ve hoped for.

He works hard, handles the media well and he’s extremely gifted on the football field. Jones led the Patriots to a 10-7 record last year, while earning a playoff berth with the team and also a Pro Bowl nod. He finished the season throwing for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions — with a 68 completion percentage.

Jones is entering his second season with high expectations, and those around him are confident that he will meet them. Jonnu Smith is just one of many players and coaches that has nothing but good things to say about Jones.

Smith joined NFL Network’s “Good Morning, Football!” and explained Jones’ most impressive traits.

“Just the way he can turn it on. Mac is probably one of the most goofiest guys in the locker room, to be honest,” Smith said. “But when he steps on that field, he’s a different character. He’s just got so much ability and so much dog in him. Once he flips that switch, he’s a whole different character. Some guys don’t know how to cut that on and cut that off when it’s time to do it. He’s so young. He’s poised. He’s got a little swagger to him, man. I’m glad he’s throwing us passes. That’s my guy.”

The Patriots have a slew of talent at the skilled positions entering 2022 and Jones’ biggest obstacle will be navigating the new coaching staff that includes Joe Judge and Matt Patricia.

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Mac Jones shows promise in this statistic with changed offensive line

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is in good company in this particular category.

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The New England Patriots underwent a makeover on the offensive line this offseason. The organization lost pieces such as Shaq Mason and Ted Karras via both trades and free agency. They also added a piece to the line: guard Cole Strange. The Patriots drafted him in the first round at 29th overall.

The turnover on the offensive line could impact quarterback Mac Jones. However, a certain statistic is a promising sign as he heads into his second season.

Pro Football Focus ranked the quarterbacks who were most affected by pressure on Friday. Jones fell between Taylor Heinicke and Patrick Mahomes with an 84.5 grade. That was good enough for 23rd in the NFL — a solid place to sit after Jones’ rookie season.

PFF’s Bryant Horn wrote his thinking behind this ranking:

“Like Heinicke, Jones’ pressure performance was around average for the group. He went 66-for-123 with 730 yards, six touchdowns and four picks. His 40 first downs were slightly on the low end, but he tallied just six turnover-worthy plays, which was tied for the second-fewest.”

It will be intriguing to see where he ends up in the rankings for next season. As the Patriots look to install a new offensive system, those numbers may change by the end of the season.

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Mac Jones discusses how Patriots offense is evolving and changing this offseason

“The idea for every offense is to have an identity and to be able to play fast and play quicker.”

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New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is at the center of an offense that appears to be under reconstruction.

With offensive assistants Joe Judge and Matt Patricia taking charge of leadership, Bill Belichick has decided to streamline the offense and simplify it. Tackle Isaiah Wynn went so far as to say they’d dumbed down the offensive terminology.

Jones was asked for his thoughts on those changes.

“The idea for every offense is to have an identity and to be able to play fast and play quicker. And to put stress on the defense is important for any offense,” Jones said June 9 during a videoconference call. “We want to be able to do that consistently and we want to be able to do whatever we want to do at any given time, whether that’s a run, play action or pass short, medium or long. We’re trying to have a little bit of variety and just grow together.”

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Jones looked dialed in this offseason with excellent showings in organized team activities and minicamp. He was extremely accurate and began to push the ball downfield with more confidence than he displayed in his rookie season. That’s not the only area where the rookie seems to have grown. He was asked whether he felt like he had command over this new offense.

“Yeah, I think that’s the whole point of the quarterback, right? It’s to lead the guys around you, get them the ball.”

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Mac Jones’ rare rookie card was score of lifetime for one collector

A special Mac Jones rookie card was a big pull for one card collector.

Finding a rare card is every card collector’s dream. Johnny Stone, 13, was able to live out his dream last Friday.

The Ohio native preordered Panini Prizm football cards back in February. The order was originally supposed to come in April, but it was delayed to last week, which happened to be the opening week for card collectors.

Stone pulled a Mac Jones rookie card, the only one of its kind. He opened the box on a Facebook live stream, and was extremely surprised when he pulled the card. As soon as he pulled it, Stone knew the card was something special.

“As soon as I pulled it, I couldn’t breathe,” he told the Akron Beacon Journal’s Molly Walsh. “It is the only one of its kind. I couldn’t believe it.”

Johnny had offers following his pull, as his video made its way around the collecting realm. He ended up selling it for $100,000. The card has been flipped for a $175,000 profit since then.

Johnny’s father Chad was equally as surprised, and enjoyed watching it unfold on the Facebook live stream.

“Nothing makes me happier than getting to see and listen to my son’s joy when he pulled the card,” he said.

“It is literally a one in a million chance that Johnny opened that card in the first box on opening day for the series,” Chad said. “It is the best card you can possibly get from the whole product. He won the lottery.”

Jones came into the NFL with high expectations on the field. He was a highly-touted quarterback as a rookie last season, being viewed as Tom Brady’s successor. It seems he is highly-touted in the card-collecting community as well.

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Mac Jones says he’ll ‘always be available’ to help mentor rookie QB Bailey Zappe

Mac Jones is ready to be a mentor for the New England Patriots’ fourth-round pick, Bailey Zappe.

The level of competition in the NFL is off the charts.

Only a small fraction of even the best players in college football will see the field consistently in the league. Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is an example of a player who understands and acknowledges how difficult it is to remain a starter. He infamously said it’s not his job to mentor rookie quarterback Malik Willis, and he elaborated by saying that they both are fighting for the same role.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is entering his second year and he’s already seen the team draft a quarterback behind him. The Patriots selected Bailey Zappe out of Western Kentucky in the fourth round and he was extremely accomplished on the collegiate level — breaking numerous NCAA records.

New England began its voluntary OTAs on Monday and Jones discussed the addition of Zappe — with a very different response than Tannehill.

“We’re happy to have Bailey,” Jones said, transcribed by NESN. “Obviously, had a great college career, and he provides good knowledge from his experience. And I’ll always be available to help him and mentor him any way I can. I was fortunate to learn from (backup quarterback Brian) Hoyer last year as a rookie. And, hopefully, me and Hoyer can help Baily out any way possible and help him develop to where he feels like he’s a better quarterback.”

Brian Hoyer is still on the roster and Jarrett Stidham is now with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving three in the quarterback room. Zappe won’t likely see the field much, if at all, this season and he’ll work on developing as an NFL quarterback.

Regardless, it has to be refreshing to hear Jones’ willingness to bring him along.

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NFL Network’s Peter Schrager names Mac Jones a dark horse MVP candidate

If the Patriots come out on top in the AFC East, could Mac Jones be considered an MVP candidate?

Mac Jones has high expectations this season.

The New England Patriots quarterback is entering his second year and he’s earned praise from people inside and outside of the organization. Jones has set up offseason workouts with teammates and he’s becoming a staple in the Boston sports community.

As a rookie, Jones led the Patriots to a playoff berth and he also earned a Pro Bowl selection. He finished the year throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions — with a 68 completion percentage. He was calm, cool and collected the entire year and he looked like the player the Patriots can lean on as their franchise quarterback.

The difficulty entering the 2022 season is the absence of Josh McDaniels and a few key offensive coaches. Joe Judge will work directly with Jones and the offensive coaching staff looks much different. That doesn’t seem to be a concern to anyone in the building and Jones said he’s ready to embrace the change.

NFL Network’s Peter Shrager has bought into the Jones hype and he went far enough to put him as the dark horse MVP candidate for 2022. Shrager said that Jones would really make a case for himself if the Patriots can win the AFC East over the Buffalo Bills.

Shrager’s prediction is a long shot — but, he did make a great point with Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson winning the MVP award in their second years.

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