Tag: Mac Jones

Adam Schefter says signs still point to Jayden Daniels going to the Commanders

Schefter is not always right. Remember 2021?

Last week, Adam Schefter of ESPN said he believed LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels would be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Washington Commanders. The preeminent NFL insider didn’t report Daniels was going to Washington, but his wording was interesting.

Schefter said he and others were discouraged from spoiling the picks ahead of time, but signs pointed to Daniels heading to Washington. Again, it was not a report, just a hunch.

Schefter doesn’t often put his name on something that doesn’t end up being true. Remember in January when everyone else assumed Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would be Washington’s next head coach? But it was Schefter who threw cold water on that notion.

Sure enough, Schefter was right.

On the latest episode of “The Adam Schefter Podcast,” Schefter doubled down on Daniels and the Commanders.

“I will stand behind that,” Schefter said. “The signs continue to point to Jayden Daniels going number 2 to Washington.” 

Schefter said nothing had changed his mind regarding Daniels to the Commanders.

While we should often take what Schefter says to the bank, he’s not always right. Remember in 2021 when the San Francisco 49ers moved up to No. 3 in the draft to select a quarterback? Everyone thought it would be Mac Jones —including Schefter.

It ended up being Trey Lance.

What do these two situations have in common? Current Washington GM Adam Peters was San Francisco’s assistant GM in 2021.

Saints suggested as a good fit for Jets draft bust Zach Wilson

The New Orleans Saints were suggested as a good fit for New York Jets draft bust Zach Wilson. But they shouldn’t trade anything for him:

Where will Zach Wilson play football in 2024? The New York Jets draft bust has been given permission to look for a trade partner, but there haven’t been many takers. With other former first-round quarterbacks changing teams it feels like only a matter of time until Wilson ejects.

It just might be difficult for him to find a parachute first. Throwing 25 interceptions in 33 starts will do a lot to turn off suitors. Despite that, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin argues that the New Orleans Saints could be interested in Wilson’s services, writing:

There isn’t exactly a strong market for a former top-three pick whose erratic quarterbacking resulted in multiple demotions, but at just 24 with dual-threat traits, Wilson could be a low-risk reclamation project for a contender. The return would almost certainly not exceed that which the Bears or Patriots got for Justin Fields and Mac Jones, respectively. But one thing’s for sure: The Jets have had their fill, with the aging but superior Aaron Rodgers once again back in the saddle.

There are some coaches on staff Wilson knows well like John Benton, the former Jets offensive line coach, and Wilson wouldn’t face as much pressure competing with Jake Haener to back up Derek Carr. He’d be more competitive in that role than Nathan Peterman will be.

But is it worth trading anything for him? Probably not. If the vision is for Haener to knock down whatever punching bag the Saints set in front of him, it makes more sense to sign a player like Peterman on a non-guaranteed minimum salary than to invest draft capital in Wilson (even if it’s nothing more than a late-round pick). And there’s the possibility of Wilson being released outright. If that comes to pass, then it’s worth seeing if Wilson is willing to match Peterman’s modest salary.

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Who will be the next Baker Mayfield?

A handful of quarterbacks from the first round of the 2021 NFL draft could be primed for a Baker Mayfield bounce-back in 2024

Baker Mayfield’s football journey has been well documented, from college walk-on to Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, to being released and bouncing between three teams in two years.

The most recent chapter in that story was a return to greatness, as Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his NFL career last year after signing a cheap one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There are multiple quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL draft class who could be primed for a similar bounce-back after experienced the same kind of rocky start to their respective NFL careers, and Rich Eisen recently discussed which of them could make that kind of comeback with a new team:

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2024 projected win totals for each NFC East team

We’re looking at a ranking of all four NFC East teams including the Philadelphia Eagles by 2024 win total predictions

We’re about 40 days from the 2024 NFL schedule reveal, but the world and Eagles fans already know who their opponents will be.

The league uses multiple factors to determine the year’s game schedule.

There’s a cycle of inter-conference faceoffs; each NFC division rotates through each AFC division every four seasons and the other NFC divisions every three seasons.

In addition, where a team finishes within their division dictates a same-finish matchup with one team from the opposite conference and whichever divisions aren’t in the rotation for that season.

Philadelphia previously had one of the more difficult schedules over the past two years, but 2024 will see the Eagles among the top ten easiest schedules based on win-loss percentages from last year.

Offering an early glimpse into where the Eagles could finish this season, DraftKings revealed a 2024 win total prediction for all 32 teams, and Philadelphia landed at No. 6 on the list.

Here’s where all four NFC East teams are projected to land.

Ranking all 32 teams by 2024 projected win totals

We’re looking at a ranking of all teams including the Philadelphia Eagles by 2024 win total predictions

We’re about 45 days from the 2024 NFL schedule reveal, but the world and Eagles fans already know who their opponents will be.

The league uses multiple factors to determine the year’s game schedule.

There’s a cycle of inter-conference faceoffs; each NFC division rotates through each AFC division every four seasons and the other NFC divisions every three seasons.

In addition, where a team finishes within their division dictates a same-finish matchup with one team from the opposite conference and whichever divisions aren’t in the rotation for that season.

Philadelphia previously had one of the more difficult schedules over the past two years, but 2024 will see the Eagles among the top ten easiest schedules based on win-loss percentages from last year.

Offering an early glimpse into where the Eagles could finish this season, DraftKings revealed a 2024 win total prediction for all 32 teams, and Philadelphia landed at No. 6 on the list.

Mac Jones had positive remarks on former coach Bill Belichick

Mac Jones took the high road when discussing his run in New England.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones spoke about his former coach, Bill Belichick, when fielding questions from media members at his introductory press conference.

Jones was drafted by Belichick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. The signal-caller was thought to be the next franchise quarterback for the New England Patriots. Instead, poor development and lack of talent around him made things difficult in New England.

Jones finished his New England career with 8,918 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He especially struggled during his 2023 campaign, throwing for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Despite everything that went down in New England, Jones had nothing but positive things to say about Belichick.

“A lot of great learning experiences,” Jones said, as transcribed by Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams. “Learned from a great head coach, obviously, one of the greatest of all time. Been fortunate to kind of work with some great head coaches and learned a lot. Played a lot of games. Started a lot of games. Obviously, things went the way they did. My goal was to get the train back on the tracks. I think I can do that here.”

It is truly a new era for the Patriots in more ways than one. It’s just hard to believe that the Jones-Belichick era started out so promising and ended so abruptly.

Mac Jones pens heartfelt goodbye to Patriots after being traded

Mac Jones thanks the Patriots in heartfelt goodbye letter to the team

Mac Jones is headed back home to Florida after being shipped off in a trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The New England Patriots got a sixth-round pick in return for parting with their former 2021 first-round pick.

Few even considered this being the scenario that would play out after Jones’ Pro Bowl rookie season, but the situation collapsed rapidly over the last two years beyond repair.

Jones called the decision to part ways mutual, before sending out a thank you letter to Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, his former teammates and Patriots fans.

“The last three seasons with the New England Patriots are years I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Jones wrote. “I will always be grateful for my time in New England and for the opportunity to start my career in the NFL. To Mr. Kraft and the Kraft family, thank you for allowing me to make my dream of playing in the NFL come true. To Coach Belichick and all the training, equipment, strength, video staff, and everyone in between, thank you for all that you did to help prepare me over the years. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

“To my teammates, it was an honor to play alongside you these last three years and I will always cherish the friendships that we built. And finally, thank you to the fans for always showing up and supporting me and the Patriots. It has been a blessing to be a part of the Patriots organization and I will always have love for the New England community.”

Jones’ fallout in New England will be a case study of what could have been.

Many have pointed the finger at former Patriots coach Bill Belichick for failing to surround his young quarterback with steady offensive coaching, a reliable offensive line and receiving weapons.

However, for the individuals involved, it’s all in the past now. Belichick is currently mulling over his NFL future, while the Patriots and Jones are moving on to hopefully bigger and better things.

AFC East news: Mac Jones era ends, Patriots trade away QB

The #Bills will face a new #Patriots QB in 2024:

A new era is set to begin for the New England Patriots under center.

The Patriots have traded quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The transaction was announced on Monday, the first day of the NFL’s free agency period.

New England selected Jones out of Alabama in the first-round of the 2021 NFL draft. Now Jones will serve as backup to Trevor Lawrence, who was the No. 1 overall selection in that same draft.

Jones only fetched the Pats a sixth rounder in return.

After a Pro Bowl rookie season, Jones’ career fell off a cliff under coach Bill Belichick. New England has already moved on from him as well. Jerod Mayo is now the new bench boss in New England.

Jones finished last year with 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was eventually benched for Bailey Zappe.

The Patriots own the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft and they’ll likely use it on a quarterback.

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Here’s how Patriots broke trade news to Mac Jones

Here’s when Mac Jones found out he was being traded by the Patriots

The New England Patriots were honest with quarterback Mac Jones in regards to his future with the team. Jones knew about a potential trade well before a deal was agreed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Jones finished his career in New England with 8,918 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He now gets a chance to return to his home state in Florida, where he will back up Jaguars starter Trevor Lawrence.

Jones was initially thought to be a franchise-caliber quarterback in New England, when he was drafted in the first round in 2021. Nevertheless, things did not materialize that way.

The Patriots told Mac Jones after the combine of their intention to trade him, and even asked the quarterback what he wanted to do. After working through that, and shopping him all week, New England found a suitor in the Jacksonville Jaguars. With a sixth-round pick in its back pocket, the Patriots fished around for a fifth Saturday, before finalizing the deal to send Jones to his hometown for the 192nd pick. The return, of course, isn’t great for a player picked 15th three years ago. But it’s reflective of the feeling that there just isn’t a ton of physical upside there in Jones.

Jacksonville could give Jones an opportunity to resurrect his career.

As for New England, they will get another chance to develop a rookie quarterback, assuming they take one with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. All eyes would be on their development process at the position, as they cannot afford to miss on a quarterback again.

Report: Broncos did not pursue QB Mac Jones

The Broncos did not make an offer for QB Mac Jones, according to 9News. The Patriots are trading him to the Jaguars for a 6th-round pick.

After the Denver Broncos parted ways with Russell Wilson, there was some speculation that coach Sean Payton might attempt to trade for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

That speculation was likely prompted by the fact that the Saints attempted to leapfrog the Patriots via trade to select Jones in the 2021 NFL draft, something they ultimately failed to do.

Three years later, New England made Jones available via trade. The Jacksonville Jaguars won the sweepstakes, agreeing to trade a sixth-round draft pick to the Patriots in exchange for Jones (the trade will not become official until the NFL’s new league year begins on Wednesday).

After the Jags and Pats agreed to terms, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that four teams were “in the mix” for Jones.  The Broncos never made an offer.

“The Broncos did their due diligence on Mac Jones before deciding not to engage in trade talks with New England,” KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported Sunday.

So the search for Wilson’s replacement continues in Denver. We are tracking all of the team’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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