Tag: Jonathan Jones

Patriots CB Devin McCourty says Jonathan Jones being ‘overlooked’ in Tyreek Hill matchup

Devin McCourty believes Jonathan Jones is being “overlooked” against Tyreek Hill

New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones has had some success against Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill throughout the course of his career.

For instance, Jones teamed up with Devin McCourty to hold Hill to zero catches in the 2018 AFC Championship Game, as the Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs en route to a Super Bowl victory.

Now, both Jones and McCourty will team up again with the Patriots taking on the Miami Dolphins Sunday. Those two could be a key component for the New England defense, as they look to win in the unfriendly confines of Miami.

McCourty downplayed his success against Hill when he spoke to the media on Thursday. Nevertheless, he did give props to Jones, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

It will be intriguing to see how Jones in particular fares against Hill. New England’s competitiveness to win the game may rely on it.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby79hc76t2s390 player_id=none image=https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=126808]

Bill Belichick is pouring praise on this Patriots CB

Bill Belichick is complementary of what Jonathan Jones brings to the table.

New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones is looking to have a bit of a bounce-back season after an injury limited him to only six games in 2021. The defensive back is important to the organization and is being noticed by coach Bill Belichick.

Jones went undrafted in 2016 and signed with the Patriots that year. Since then, he has become a key part of the secondary.

He is just two years removed from a season that saw him record 74 combined tackles and two interceptions. He established himself as a key piece of the secondary and was able to adjust to the role quickly.

His skills will be on full display Sunday, as he will be matched up with either Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle. It certainly won’t be an easy first assignment, as New England looks to win on the road.

Nevertheless, Belichick has nothing but praise for Jones, as transcribed by Greg Dudek of NESN.com.

“Jon’s a very versatile and important guy to our team since he came here, in the kicking game and defensively,” Belichick told reporters during his media availability on Tuesday. “He’s smart, he’s fast, he’s tough. All good things in the kicking game and all good things defensively, tackling, covering fast receivers, and making smart decisions inside and the nickel position, which is where things can get kind of complicated with bunch formations and run force and things like that. So very professional, works hard, pairs well and brings a high level of toughness, competitiveness and speed to our team.”

Jones will be an important, steadfast piece for a Patriots secondary looking for stability. New England is trying to reshape the secondary, and Jones could be a steady veteran presence as they work to do so.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby79hc76t2s390 player_id=none image=https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[lawrence-related id=126765]

Panthers rookie OT Ikem Ekwonu pancakes, gets pancaked against Patriots

Panthers rookie OT Ikem Ekwonu pancaked one Patriots defender, only to find himself pancaked by another.

The Carolina Panthers selected North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft because Ekwonu is a tremendously powerful player, and between Ekwonu and underrated right tackle Taylor Moton, Carolina has two of the most effective defender-erasing outside blockers in the NFL today.

That said, Ekwonu got a sharp lesson in leverage and power at the NFL level on this play in the Panthers’ Friday night preseason game against the New England Patriots. Ekwonu (No. 79) was pulling to block to the outside left — all 6-foot-4, 310 pounds of him — and he was absolutely leveled by Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (No. 23), who stands 6-foot-2, 220. That’s big for a defensive back, but still… you don’t expect to see this level of carnage in a matchup like this.

Running back Chuba Hubbard did gain the first down on this play, but that’s something for Dugger to cherish once film day comes around.

In fairness to Mr. Ekwonu, he had his own stick hit to brag about, when he took defensive back Jonathan Jones (No. 31) several yards in the wrong direction, from the Patriots’ point of view.

Perhaps Dugger was defending Jones’ honor? In any event, Ekwonu is learning an important lesson — in the NFL, it’s hit or be hit, and the equation can change very quickly.

5 takeaways from Day 10 of Patriots training camp

It wasn’t a pretty day for the offense.

After taking a couple of days off, the New England Patriots were back at it on the practice field on Monday.

It was the first game week practice with the team set to face the New York Giants in Thursday’s preseason opener. And it wasn’t a pretty sight, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

The defense flat-out dominated in a practice that left more questions than answers. But as center David Andrews eloquently put it, “you can’t let today or any day derail anything in the future.”

“You can’t let today or any day derail anything in the future,” Andrews told media members after the practice. “That’s just how it goes. Wins, losses—you just got to stay steady. You can’t go up and down.”

Hear are five takeaways from Monday’s practice.

Giants remain focus of much trade speculation

Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report breaks down four different trades the New York Giants could be a part of this summer.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The New York Giants were rumored to be shopping several players prior to the 2022 NFL draft, but no deals were ultimately made. However, that has not stopped speculation on who they should trade or who they might acquire.

Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report recently constructed a trade speculation article that encompassed potential deals for every NFL team. Interestingly, the Giants popped up frequently.

First up, Wharton proposed a trade that would send Kenny Golladay to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round pick.

No team has more cap room over the 2023 and 2024 seasons than the Chicago Bears. This team is ripe for an upside swing on a talented but expensive player who didn’t work out elsewhere. The best marriage between fit, team need and an expendable player is wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

But Wharton didn’t stop there. Assuming no deal could be made between the Giants and Bears, he also proposed New York trading Golladay to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for tight end Nick Boyle and a 2023 sixth-round pick.

Finding a new home for Golladay is complicated by the fact that his new team would need to pay his $13 million base salary in 2022. Baltimore would need to reshuffle some money to make this work, but it has a need for a playmaking receiver after dealing Marquise Brown during the NFL draft. Golladay would give Lamar Jackson a trustworthy, big-bodied threat who can win on deep jump balls better than anyone currently on the roster.

Golladay isn’t going to be the hot commodity this article seems to paint him as.

Meanwhile, there were several other potential Giants-related trades Wharton outlined, including the acquisition of cornerback Jonathan Jones from the New England Patriots at the cost of — you guessed it — a 2023 sixth-round pick.

A great landing place for Jonathan Jones would be with the New York Giants. The Giants are thin at cornerback, and Jones would immediately challenge to start at nickel over Darnay Holmes. If nothing else, his experience and leadership could help New York’s young cornerback group develop for the future.

A trade for Jones would leave the Giants with three nickel corners (Cor’Dale Flott the other) and lacking depth on the outside. We’re not sure this proposal solves any problems.

And finally, Wharton doubles down on Bleacher Report’s stance that running back Saquon Barkley should also be traded. And in this exercise, they have him going to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and a 2023 fourth-round pick.

The New York Giants have a bad but expensive roster. New head coach Brian Daboll would surely love to deploy a fully healthy Saquon Barkley in 2022, but the franchise has seen limited production and availability from the 2018 No. 2 pick. Trading his $7.2 million cap hit and getting a fresh look at Edwards-Helaire is the more prudent decision.

None of these trades seem likely or plausible, but nothing is entirely impossible. Still, it’s hard to envision any team making a strong run at Golladay at his current price or the Giants assuming some of that money to ship him off. It’s equally as difficult to envision general manager Joe Schoen adding another nickel corner when there are so many other needs.

As far as Barkley, the Giants are building their offense around him and have been very public about their desire to keep him.

[listicle id=693361]

Eagles’ Avonte Maddox lands in the top-10 of PFF’s 2022 NFL slot CB rankings

Philadelphia Eagles’ talented cover guy Avonte Maddox lands in the top-10 of a PFF ranking of the NFL’s best slot cornerbacks

Avonte Maddox is a player to watch in Jonathan Gannon’s secondary and as the former Pitt product enters year No. 5 with the Eagles, he’ll look to cement himself as one of the top nickel cornerbacks in the game.

Maddox should benefit from the addition of James Bradberry to the mix with Darius Slay and his profile around the league is rising after a 2021 season that saw the slot cornerback rank among the top five in several categories.

PFF recently ranked the top slot cornerbacks in the NFL and the Eagles’ defensive back landed at No. 9 on the list.

9. AVONTE MADDOX, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Maddox has played just about everywhere in the secondary in his four-year Eagles career. He went from free safety and outside corner in 2018 to the slot in 2019, then back to the outside for 2020. He didn’t enjoy much success, as he earned single-season PFF grades below 60.0 each year.

In 2021, as Maddox moved back to the nickel spot full-time, things were different, as his 76.1 coverage grade was top-five at the position. The Pitt product is an effective tackler who consistently breaks downhill and snuffs out plays underneath — his 17 passing stops in the slot tied for the most in the NFL last season.

The Colts Kenny Moore landed atop the list, followed by Mike Hilton, Jonathan Jones, Taron Johnson, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to round out the top-5.

[vertical-gallery id=667455]

[listicle id=667448]

[listicle id=667438]

[lawrence-related id=667427,667422,667419,667394,667400]

Stephon Gilmore reacts to Matt Judon’s recruiting attempt for Patriots

Matt Judon isn’t slowing down as a top recruiter for the Patriots.

The New England Patriots have had an incredibly slow offseason due to a lack of cap space.

Bill Belichick’s primary goal was to retain veterans like Devin McCourty, Matt Slater, Ja’Whaun Bentley, James White, Trent Brown, Nick Folk and more. The Patriots also brought in players like Malcolm Butler, Terrance Mitchell and Ty Montgomery to add depth.

Regardless of how the Patriots have moved in free agency, Matt Judon has been pursuing some of the biggest names in the league. Even though he hasn’t been successful yet, the effort is still there.

Judon’s most recent recruiting attempt targeted Stephon Gilmore, who had an extremely successful run with the team. Gilmore tweeted that he lost his wallet, and then Jonathan Jones and Judon chimed in shortly after.

The Patriots lost J.C. Jackson this offseason and they’re hurting badly at the cornerback position. Bringing back Gilmore, if financially possible, would be the biggest move they could make.

[listicle id=120781]

Report: Patriots CB Jonathan Jones progressing nicely after shoulder surgery

Jonathan Jones is on track for offseason workouts following surgery.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby79hc76t2s390 player_id=none image=https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The New England Patriots could get some defensive help back when they take the field again for offensive workouts later in the year. Cornerback Jonathan Jones is making strides in his recovery, and should be able to participate fully in the offseason, according to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi.

Jones suffered a shoulder injury last October, and New England had to find other ways to fill depth at corner. He had 20 tackles and an interception last season, with the injury cutting his time on the field short.

This could be an important piece of news for New England, as they look to address the corner position this offseason. With J.C. Jackson heading into free agency, one of the biggest pieces of the Patriots secondary is in flux. This news gives New England reassurance that they will have depth at the position.

Jones has played six seasons, all with the Patriots. He has recorded 261 tackles and seven interceptions in 85 games.

[lawrence-related id=119498]

Jonathan Jones posts to Instagram about season-ending shoulder surgery

The Patriots will be without their starting nickel cornerback, Jonathan Jones, for the rest of the season.

New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones posted to Instagram after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

The Patriots placed Jones on injured reserve this weekend after he suffered the injury in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys. New England looked to cornerbacks Myles Bryant and Joejuan Williams to replace Jones, who has been a reliable nickel cornerback for the Patriots for the last few years.

“Adversity is a part of the game. Surgery was successful. Ready to start the road to recovery. I’ll be back better than ever,” he wrote on Monday.

The 28-year-old defensive back joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn in 2016, and made the team as a core special teams player before building out a role as a cornerback.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVd9qHwMRAC/

He is currently playing on a three-year, $21 million contract that extends through the 2022 season. His role in the coming season could increase in importance if cornerback J.C. Jackson, the team’s top option, decides to leave in free agency.

[listicle id=113656]

J.C. Jackson believes Patriots ‘can match with any receivers in the NFL’

Even with the loss of Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots CB J.C. Jackson believes in his group.

One of the New England Patriots’ most difficult matchups is here.

Bill Belichick’s team will host the red-hot Dallas Cowboys in an exciting Week 6 contest. New England, who was missing four offensive linemen last week, is regaining health and putting pieces back together in the trenches. Jalen Mills and Shaun Wade were unavailable against the Houston Texans and they’ll likely return to the field against Dallas.

After getting torched by Davis Mills, the secondary will have to prepare for Dak Prescott and a dangerous offensive crew that includes Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliot, Dalton Schultz and more. J.C. Jackson doesn’t appear to be worried because he believes in the group around him.

“Of course. I believe in my secondary,” Jackson said Thursday, transcribed by WEEI. “We’ve always been good defensively, so I feel like we can match with any receivers in the NFL. We’ve got a pretty good defense — a couple of veteran players who have been here for awhile…”

The Patriots have allowed the fourth-least passing yards this season and the sixth-least passing touchdowns. They’ve been better than what the 2-3 record they carry may display. Jackson now is going to turn his attention to Lamb, who he has confidence in the Patriots covering.

“I mean, he’s got to deal with me, too,” he said when asked about the keys to covering Lamb. “He’s pretty good, but he’s got to deal with my strengths, too. That’s how I look at it.”

Jackson carries the perfect demeanor for the team’s No. 1 cornerback.