Tag: marcus jones

Patriots CB texted Alex Van Pelt for more opportunities on offense

Should the Patriots utilize Marcus Jones more on offense?

New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones wants to get more involved offensively to the point where he reached out to offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt for an opportunity.

That led to him getting his first opportunity of the season in last week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. He was in on a couple of snaps, including a five-yard run play, for the Patriots’ offense.

The 2022 third-round draft pick has experience playing on the offensive side of the ball. He did so in college and even had four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots in his rookie season.

The Houston product has primarily been used as a cornerback and kick returner throughout his NFL run. Defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington recently compared Jones’ dual-threat abilities with what Colorado’s Travis Hunter has been able to do in college football.

Perhaps there will be more opportunities in the near future, but according to Van Pelt, the recent opportunity started with a text message.

It’s intriguing to think about what Jones could do in a bigger role offensively. Perhaps his speed and big playmaking ability in certain spots could add another spark to the unit.

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Patriots CB Marcus Jones reveals true opinion of playing under Bill Belichick

Marcus Jones comments on his experience playing under Bill Belichick

New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones has been a do-it-all player for the Patriots since he arrived in the league.

He has made an impact on offense, defense and special teams. His versatility is one of the reasons why Bill Belichick selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

The 25-year-old defensive back recently spoke with Dj Pup Dawg about what it was like being drafted by the Patriots.

“My phone started ringing, and I was like, ‘Who’s calling me?’ …I looked and I seen Boston, Massachusetts,” said Jones. “I was just like, ‘I’m gonna need about 4 or 5 coats. I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s gonna be so cold.'”

Even though Jones only played under Belichick for two seasons, he took enough away from their time together to call him the greatest coach of all time.

“Next thing you know, I ended up getting on the phone and ended up talking to Bill and just being able to play for him, he’s the greatest coach of all time in my opinion,” said Jones. “The hard work and dedication, how he treats players—he treats everyone equal, no matter who it is.

“That’s why that accountability in that organization is so high, and that’s why that standard was there and that’s why that legacy was there. Much respect for Bill and everything like that. Like I said, man, he’s forever the greatest coach of all time to me.”

Jones’ 2023 season was cut short due to injury after suffering a torn labrum against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. Now, he is looking to bounce back and become a key part of a Patriots’ secondary that is one of the better units in the NFL.

There is little doubt that Belichick’s name still holds a ton of weight in New England. He will forever be connected to one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports.

It goes without saying that Belichick was one of the tougher coaches in the NFL, but his players got a lot out of it.

Patriots CB Marcus Jones ready to return after season-ending injury

Marcus Jones says he’s ‘100 percent ready’ to return

New England Patriots cornerback/kick returner Marcus Jones is ready to get back on the field, after a disappointing end to last year’s season.

Jones was put on the shelf early last season, as he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins. He was placed on injured reserve on September 22, finishing the year with five combined tackles and a forced fumble.

Jones was thought to be a key piece of the Patriots’ secondary, a unit that ended up being decimated by the injury bug last season. Christian Gonzalez also looks ready to go, as New England looks to return a very solid unit.

Jones being healthy is certainly a welcome development that should make a talented Patriots secondary even stronger. His versatility will be welcome, too. He was an All-Pro punt returner in 2022, following a season where he scored a touchdown on special teams, defense and offense.

The Patriots will need all hands on deck in a year where they have one of the hardest regular season schedules in the NFL. Having Jones back will certainly make things run smoother.

Patriots’ electric returner Marcus Jones officially out for season

Marcus Jones is done for the season, per Patriots assistant coach.

New England Patriots wide receivers and kick returners coach Troy Brown revealed on Tuesday that cornerback Marcus Jones will miss the rest of the season.

Jones has been dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered in the Week 2 loss to the Miami Dolphins. There was hope that he could return at some point, but now, it’s looking like a 2024 return is the more realistic target for the 2022 third-round draft pick.

The former collegiate standout at Houston showed growth as a defender in the secondary, and his versatility made him a real threat as a return man and occasional receiver for the Patriots.

Not having Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones in the defensive backfield, along with Jonathan Jones being banged up, pushed the Patriots to trade for J.C. Jackson, which has been a home run move so far.

Jackson has stepped right back into the fold and picked up where he left off in coach Bill Belichick’s defense in 2021. The team will need that effort to continue if they have any hope of filling the void after losing two of their most dynamic playmakers.

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Injury-riddled Patriots might have to get creative at cornerback

With Jonathan Jones ruled out and Shaun Wade listed as questionable, the Patriots might have to get creative at cornerback on Sunday.

Injuries at cornerback have the New England Patriots on the brink of desperation in the defensive backfield, ahead of a tough matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Marcus Jones and Jack Jones are both on injured reserve. Jonathan Jones was ruled out for the road trip on Saturday. Shaun Wade is expected to make the trip, but he’s listed as questionable to play with a shoulder injury.

That leaves the Patriots with rookie Christian Gonzalez and Myles Bryant as their primary healthy options.

So far, the team has been able to disguise the injuries with Gonzalez’s elite play, along with Bryant making legitimate strides of improvement. But it’s only a matter of time before the injuries catch up to the unit, and the wheels could potentially fall off without a great backup plan in Week 4.

The Patriots could call up Azizi Hearns or Breon Borders from their practice squad, or they could get even more creative and move converted safety Jalen Mills back to cornerback for the game.

Given the opponent and incredible depth they already have at safety, it might be smarter for the Patriots to do the latter. Keep in mind, this is all assuming Wade isn’t healthy enough to play.

The Patriots also have rookie Ameer Speed on the roster, but he’s mostly been involved with special teams. It could prove risky to match him up defensively against an elite football team with a plethora of receiving talent.

Even with all of the injuries, the defense hasn’t broken three weeks into the season. There’s reason to believe they can weather the storm just a little bit longer.

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Patriots coach Bill Belichick perfectly sums up Marcus Jones injury

Bill Belichick commented on Marcus Jones going on injured reserve.

New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones being placed on injured reserve was confirmed on Friday. The earliest Jones could return to action is Week 7 for a tough divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills

Jones’ injury is a notable one, given his durability and versatility last season. It’s also a difficult one for a cornerback room that is already lacking additional depth. New England was busy on Thursday, signing rookie Azizi Hearns and veteran Breon Borders to the practice squad. It’s clear that added cornerback depth has been a focus for the team.

Coach Bill Belichick spoke to the media on Friday and did not understate what the injury meant for the organization.

“He’s on IR for right now, so he’ll be out for a while,” said Belichick, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “I would say he had a really good rookie year. Explosive player.”

This is undoubtedly a hit to the Patriots cornerback unit. The organization should be careful not to rush Jones back, although that’s easier said than done.

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Marcus Jones lands on IR, adding another hit to Patriots’ depleted CB room

The Patriots’ CB room takes another massive hit.

Another cornerback bit the dust for the New England Patriots with news of second-year defensive back Marcus Jones going on injured reserve on Thursday.

Per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jones is out with a torn labrum, stemming from the shoulder injury he suffered in the Patriots’ loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday.

Losing Jones isn’t ideal for the Patriots three weeks into the season. He was a key contributor in the defensive backfield with Jonathan Jones working his back from an ankle injury and Jack Jones being on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

Along with handling cornerback duties, Marcus was also the Patriots’ punt returner. So special teams will take a hit from his absence as well.

The Patriots are hopeful Jonathan Jones will be able to get back on the field for the Week 3 road matchup against the New York Jets. To help with depth, the team signed Azizi Hearn and Breon Borders to the practice squad on Thursday.

Lady Luck has obviously abandoned the Patriots to an injury-riddled roster two games into the season.

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Patriots reportedly signing former third-round pick QB to main roster

The Patriots are now officially carrying three quarterbacks on their main roster.

The quarterback carousel continued for the New England Patriots on Thursday with the team reportedly signing former third-round draft pick Will Grier to the main roster.

Grier joining is significant considering the Patriots only carried two quarterbacks on the main roster with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe in the first two games of the season.

Could there potentially be a competition brewing for the No. 2 role behind Jones? It’s something to monitor moving forward. The Patriots initially cut Zappe from the main roster before re-signing him ahead of the season opener. There were initial reports that he was struggling to pick up the offense under Bill O’Brien.

Grier, who was signed off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad, offers the Patriots another veteran option to serve as Jones’ backup.

In a corresponding move to make room for Grier signing, the Patriots reportedly placed second-year cornerback Marcus Jones on injured reserve with a torn labrum.

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Patriots Week 3 injury report: Rookie OL Sidy Sow suffers setback on Thursday

Two Patriots players did not participate in Thursday’s practice.

The New England Patriots are getting healthier, but they had a bit of a setback with rookie offensive lineman Sidy Sow on Thursday.

On the team’s injury report, it was revealed that the fourth-round draft pick did not participate at practice. Sow has been working his way back from a concussion that kept him out of the Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins.

There was hope that he was improving after he was listed as a limited participant at practice on Wednesday. So the fact that he missed this time around could indicate there was some sort of a setback. Concussions are tricky injuries with a varied timetable of recovery.

Meanwhile, Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones was still out with the shoulder injury he suffered in the Dolphins game. Here is the full injury report for the Patriots on Thursday:

Week 3 injury report: Patriots looking significantly healthier ahead of Jets game

Multiple players returned to practice for the Patriots on Wednesday.

The New England Patriots looked significantly healthier on the practice field on Wednesday, ahead of what could be looked at as a must-win game against the New York Jets.

They released their injury report, and only two players were listed as non-participants with one being an excused absence for defensive lineman Davon Godchaux, who was in the delivery room with his fiancee.

Cornerback Jonathan Jones and left tackle Trent Brown were back on the field. Both missed last Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, and there’s hope they’ll be well enough to return for Week 3.

The one new name on the injured list as a limited participant is defensive lineman Christian Barmore with a knee injury. That could be something to keep an eye on over the next couple of days.

Here’s every player that appeared on the injury report on Wednesday: