Here's how Mac Jones has reportedly been prepping for Year 2 with Patriots

Share

Can Mac Jones make the Year 2 leap for the New England Patriots?

The fortunes of the franchise in 2022 could well rest on how much Jones can build off an impressive debut season, in which he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and guided the Patriots back to the postseason following a one-year absence.

In preparations for next season, Jones is said to be "on a mission," according to Mike Reiss of ESPN, adhering to a strict diet and focusing on full-body fundamentals

Curran: In Patriots' hierarchy of draft needs, receiver not at the top

But perhaps even more important is the work that Jones has been doing with his New England teammates on the offensive side of the ball. According to Reiss, his session in Florida last week wasn't the first time he's rounded up teammates to throw. Jones had a similar meet-up with Nelson Agholor, Jonnu Smith, Tre Nixon and Damien Harris in Massachusetts earlier in the offseason, Reiss wrote. 

Agholor was also at the session in Florida, but this sounds like the first time Jones has met up with the others. The presence of Smith and Harris, in particular, is notable, given their relative lack of contributions in the passing game a season ago. No one would ever quibble with Harris' role as a pure runner, but he caught only 18 passes for 132 yards out of the backfield in 2021, making him a fairly one-dimensional player.

Smith, in his first season with the Patriots after signing a lucrative deal in free agency, caught just 28 passes for 294 yards and a touchdown. It's also a promising sign that Nixon, a seventh-round pick in 2021 who spent last year on the practice squad, was invited to partake.

New England surely wouldn't mind more contributions from Agholor as well, following a 37-catch, 473-yard campaign in his first season in Foxboro.

Developing chemistry with his teammates early and often is a great sign for Jones, who could even soon be throwing to one of his former teammates from Alabama.

Contact Us