Patriots Daily: Keeping Up With the Joneses’ Returns

Jerod Mayo’s comments about the New England Patriots still having an open competition for the starting quarterback position between Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye (including here). Mayo shared some encouraging news for the Patriots’ cornerback depth as well. He stated that Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones are expected to return soon.

“I would say both of those guys are very close to returning,” Mayo responded when asked about the corners. This does not mean they should necessarily be expected as full participants in practice today, but it does bode well for both to start the season on the active roster.

Christian Gonzalez is going to start at one corner spot. Who starts across from him, or in the slot, is undecided. Jonathan Jones will occupy one of those roles if healthy. Marcus Jones might have the inside track for the other, but it is tough to say. He missed nearly all of 2023 and has not been able to play in either preseason game yet. His participation in camp has been limited.

Cornerback Depth in New England

While the absence of the Joneses created opportunities for others to make a strong case for themselves, Mayo did not sound satisfied with what he had seen from the other options in camp. He was asked about players like Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden, and Marco Wilson getting a chance to establish themselves with more chances.

“The frustrating part is that it depends on what day you look out there,” Mary said. “It’s up and down, up and down, and it’s about consistency in this league, as you know. We’re looking for consistency opposite of Gonzo (Christian Gonzalez).”

Shaun Wade is also in the mix for significant time at cornerback, though he was also limited last week and sat out the game against the Eagles. Other cornerbacks in camp include Azizi Hearn and rookies Marcellas Dial Jr. and Mikey Victor. Who starts, earns significant playing time, or makes the 53-man roster remains undecided. But the return of Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones certainly improves the depth at the position and gives Mayo and his staff more options to work with. When exactly when they return? Stay tuned.

Also in Saturday’s Patriots Daily:

Patriots Fact of the Day

Marcus Jones has the New England Patriots record for most yards from scrimmage by a defense player with 78. He broke the career record in just his first season, which was previously held by Elandon Roberts (52).

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Post of the Day

Wolf Should Consider Bringing Brady Christensen to New England – When it comes to NFL roster building, sometimes thinking outside the box in a smart move. A former consensus All-American at left tackle is sitting on the bench for one of the NFL’s worst teams after getting converted to guard in the NFL. Eliot Wolf should make a call to Carolina.

PFF’s Best New England Patriots Performances Against the Eagles – Joshua Uche scored highest among Patriots players on defense and special teams. Chukwuma Okorafor led the offense. See which other Patriots earned high grades on Thursday night.

PFF’s Worst New England Patriots Performances Against the Eagles – Some players received poor grades that were easy to understand (CB Marcellas Dial Jr.). Others got bad grades for no apparent reason (ST Joshuah Bledsoe). And PFF’s scoring system arguably took an unfair look at some others (Daniel Ekuale).

Boston Bruins

Boston Hockey Now – The Boston Bruins are in a down period. The NHL Draft and the first wave of free agency have passed. Training camp has yet to arrive. But plenty is happening, from new uniform numbers to trade rumors, and BHN has it covered.

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