Patriots finalize deal to send Mac Jones to Jaguars: sources

Two years after reaching the Pro Bowl as a rookie who was viewed as the New England Patriots' next starting quarterback, Mac Jones has been sent to his hometown Jacksonville Jaguars as part of a trade that gives Jones a fresh start after the last two turbulent years with the Patriots, team sources confirmed. The athlete Sunday.

The Patriots will receive the Jaguars' sixth-round pick in exchange for Jones, sources said. The trade cannot be processed until the new league year, which begins Wednesday.

It's the end of the tortuous saga between Jones and the Patriots, which unraveled under three different offensive coordinators in three years and a locker room that lost confidence in Jones amid his dealings with multiple benches from then-coach Bill Belichick.

For the Patriots, it's the clearest sign yet of something known — that the Patriots are looking for a new quarterback. They are expected to be active in the free agent market for the veteran quarterback once negotiations are cleared at noon on Monday, and will likely look to reunite with Jacoby Brissett. A move like this would keep the option open for them to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick.

For Jones, it's a much-needed reset after trust was broken with the Patriots. After a promising rookie season, Belichick hired former defensive specialist Matt Patricia to run the offense, and Jones' production collapsed from there. Relations were also strained over disagreements with the way Jones was coached and how he conducted himself on the field. Then last season when Bill O'Brien ran the team's offense, Jones' performance didn't improve. He completed 65 percent of his passes in 11 starts, while throwing 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, eventually losing his job forever to Billy Zappe. He now heads to Jacksonville to back up Trevor Lawrence before Jones, the No. 15 pick in 2021, becomes a free agent next year.

For many in New England, the Jones era will be about what could have been. With Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator in 2021, Jones looked like an above-average quarterback who — with the right coaching and progression — could become a top-10 prospect at the position. Instead, Jones got worse with each passing season, doubted the coaching he was receiving, didn't have big weapons around him on offense and eventually regressed so much that the Patriots deemed him unplayable.

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Now, Jones will spend the season under Doug Pederson (who, Patriots fans don't need to be reminded, knows the value of a high-level backup given his time with Nick Foles). Jones will work with Pederson, the offensive coach, and succeed Lawrence not far from where he grew up. Then next year, he could push for a job in free agency that gives him another chance to start.

The Patriots are expected to sign a veteran player in the coming days. They have interest in Baker Mayfield, the second-best free agent quarterback, but the feeling does not appear to be mutual. So, they will now look to other options starting with Brissett, who will be a third-round pick in 2016.

Next, the Patriots will turn their attention to the NFL Draft, where they would like to make another attempt at drafting the next franchise quarterback. Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are the most likely options at this point for the Patriots with the No. 3 pick.