Mac Jones working out with Nic Shimonek on his strength and conditioning

[JarOfMayo51]

Good. I want to see this. Might not mean anything but it does mean something if he’s NOT doing it.

People can say whatever they want about Mac, but they can't say he lacks commitment to his craft

I hope he can rebound and build off of what he did his rookie year under a real OC. No more excuses after this year, although they do need to address the offensive line issues and for the love of god get this kid a legitimate offensive weapon that defenses have to actually gameplan for and worry about.

 

[PatsFan2]

People can say whatever they want about Mac, but they can't say he lacks commitment to his craft

I hope he can rebound and build off of what he did his rookie year under a real OC. No more excuses after this year, although they do need to address the offensive line issues and for the love of god get this kid a legitimate offensive weapon that defenses have to actually gameplan for and worry about.

Get Mac that kid I am convinced that Mac is the kind of QB who will need Elite Offensive Skilled players to make him look good. He's not a guy who can do it by himself.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

I get it, Patricia is a hopeless clod, etc. He's also a convenient excuse for some to absolve Mac of his shortcomings that were plainly evident last season. And Mac was only a rookie the season before. Next year it'll be, well he's got a new coordinator, so wait until the year after. And so on. At some point it just may have to be he's not good enough.

His rookie year proved that he was good enough, under a real OC

This year was an albatross, every single person on offense regressed except for Rham who was a work horse because Damien Harris couldn't stay on the field and the rookies weren't ready for a larger role that would involve pass protection

 

[203Pat]

Neither is true. He has average arm strength for an NFL quarterback and seam routes are no more an issue for him than any other route. Mac's throwing strengths are accuracy and touch. Try to be objective, just because he doesn't have a Josh Allen cannon for a right arm doesn't mean it's "weak" or he can't make all the throws.

Okay you got me. Mac has a good arm and throws seam routes well.

 

[BB8XSBW]

His rookie year proved that he was good enough, under a real OC

This year was an albatross, every single person on offense regressed except for Rham who was a work horse because Damien Harris couldn't stay on the field and the rookies weren't ready for a larger role that would involve pass protection

Take it easy on posters like @crawhammer and @Triumph. They aren't Mac Jones haters like one would think. On the contrary. Sometimes kids in their age group will lash out at someone they admire out of sheer jealousy. They are envious of his hot girlfriend and his status as the starting quarterback of the 6x SB champion dynasty, and so that envy manifests itself in what may seem as "hatred."

I know many kids back in middle school who would behave this way. Granted, I was never one of them, but the kids I used to bully on a daily basis were, and there were a lot of them. A lot. So it is by no means uncommon behavior.

They will grow out of it.

 

[crawhammer]

His rookie year proved that he was good enough, under a real OC

This year was an albatross, every single person on offense regressed except for Rham who was a work horse because Damien Harris couldn't stay on the field and the rookies weren't ready for a larger role that would involve pass protection

The coaching sucked. Mac had a bad season. Both are true.

Also, Jakobi Meyers did not regress this season (in fact he was better). Hunter Henry didn't regress either (Mac didn't get him the ball in the red zone). Parker's availability was an issue but he didn't regress as a receiver at all. Mac's overall supporting cast was fine, which unfortunately isn't good enough when the quarterback is playing poorly.

Mac's rookie season proves nothing about his future. Firstly, it wasn't that spectacular and he arguably played his worst over the last third of that season. Secondly, for example, Lamar Jackson was an overwhelming NFL MVP is his first full season as a starter, yet half this forum calls him a bum. So one mildly decent season from Mac should not be "proof" that he's good enough to be a true franchise quarterback.

 

[RodThePat]

His rookie year proved that he was good enough, under a real OC

This year was an albatross, every single person on offense regressed except for Rham who was a work horse because Damien Harris couldn't stay on the field and the rookies weren't ready for a larger role that would involve pass protection

Did it? I think his rookie year proved he can be relied on not to lose you games if he has good playcalling, adequate protection and a good running game. That's valuable in the NFL, a lot of guys can't provide that, but it certainly doesn't prove he's "good enough", at least not in my view. I never thought Alex Smith was good enough to contend with, neither is Ryan Tannehill, and they had some seasons that were a lot better than what Mac put together as a rookie. Even Bill reocgnized that, as he started 2022 putting a whole lot more on Mac's plate: merely replicating 2021 wasn't enough, they had to know if he was capable of making a jump into more of a driver of the offense. Of course the coaching staff was such a mess I don't think we can definitively call that attempt to put more on his shoulders a failure, but to me he has not proven he's good enough to contend with.

 

[Rob0729]

The coaching sucked. Mac had a bad season. Both are true.

Also, Jakobi Meyers did not regress this season (in fact he was better). Hunter Henry didn't regress either (Mac didn't get him the ball in the red zone). Parker's availability was an issue but he didn't regress as a receiver at all. Mac's overall supporting cast was fine, which unfortunately isn't good enough when the quarterback is playing poorly.

Mac's rookie season proves nothing about his future. Firstly, it wasn't that spectacular and he arguably played his worst over the last third of that season. Secondly, for example, Lamar Jackson was an overwhelming NFL MVP is his first full season as a starter, yet half this forum calls him a bum. So one mildly decent season from Mac should not be "proof" that he's good enough to be a true franchise quarterback.

Meyers missed three games. Parker missed four games. Agholor massively regressed. Thornton had his moments, but was lost out there most of the season. Bourne regressed more than anyone on the team going from the Patriots’ best WR in 2021 to mostly an afterthought in 2022. Let’s not rewrite history here.

Lamar Jackson was arguably one of the worst passing QB in the league when he won MVP. He was an mediocre passer. What won him MVP that season was that he rushed for 1200 yards and seven TDs. Comparing him with Jones isn’t fair.

 

[Rob0729]

Did it? I think his rookie year proved he can be relied on not to lose you games if he has good playcalling, adequate protection and a good running game. That's valuable in the NFL, a lot of guys can't provide that, but it certainly doesn't prove he's "good enough", at least not in my view. I never thought Alex Smith was good enough to contend with, neither is Ryan Tannehill, and they had some seasons that were a lot better than what Mac put together as a rookie. Even Bill reocgnized that, as he started 2022 putting a whole lot more on Mac's plate: merely replicating 2021 wasn't enough, they had to know if he was capable of making a jump into more of a driver of the offense. Of course the coaching staff was such a mess I don't think we can definitively call that attempt to put more on his shoulders a failure, but to me he has not proven he's good enough to contend with.

Belichick didn’t put more on Jones’ plate this year unless you mean trying to make plays while his tackles refuse to block. Belichick took everything off Jones’ plate and that’s was a major issue. He took away Jones’ ability to audible. He devised an offense where he really had one or two real reads where the receiver had to be in position to get the ball at a certain time or the whole play broke down. Hell, he didn’t even allow Andrews to call blocking assignments at the line.

See if the Pats had a real OC and stuck with their offense, Belichick could have put more on Jones’ plate rather than run a simple and predictable offense that gave Jones little to no leeway to improvise.

 

[TheRainMaker]

There's only so much you can improve on as an athlete. Eventually, we will have to come to terms that Mac is just who he is. We all want to see better footwork/pocket presence, better recognition at the line, and better arm mechanics, but I'd like to see a better supporting cast around him as well. This current group is not going to cut it.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

There's only so much you can improve on as an athlete. Eventually, we will have to come to terms that Mac is just who he is. We all want to see better footwork/pocket presence, better recognition at the line, and better arm mechanics, but I'd like to see a better supporting cast around him as well. This current group is not going to cut it.

In my opinion that is why you can’t pay Meyers elite money he is not elite.
That’s why you have to go get those guys.
I would also trade Henry we haven’t gotten the return on investment from him.

 

[203Pat]

There's only so much you can improve on as an athlete. Eventually, we will have to come to terms that Mac is just who he is. We all want to see better footwork/pocket presence, better recognition at the line, and better arm mechanics, but I'd like to see a better supporting cast around him as well. This current group is not going to cut it.

There is plenty that Mac can improve upon that will make him a better quarterback but I agree with that being said the cast around him needs to improve. I just don't see Mac as a guy who can elevate those around him. I think Kirk Cousins is his ceiling but Andy Dalton may be more likely.

 

[Steve102]

There used to be guy here, they said in his scouting report:

Poor build, Skinny, Lacks great physical stature and strength, Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush, Lacks a really strong arm, Can’t drive the ball downfield, Does not throw a really tight spiral, System-type player who can get exposed if forced to ad lib, Gets knocked down easily.

Slow on reads, slow to react, doesn't deliver the ball on time. Everything he needs to do, he needs to do quicker.

He turned out to be pretty good in the end. Now before y'all jump on me, let's just wait and see if the the kid can improve this year. Throw out 2022, that whole situation sucked. Like someone else in the organization, this is a make or break year. I am not saying that Mac can be anything close to Tom Brady, but I am saying that maybe he can be good enough. If, after 2023, he still sucks, then we can launch him.

 

[varjao]

Well he's a statue in the pocket, at least try to be a stronger statue that doesn't collapse with a strong wind.

He definitely needs to improve physically.

Now regarding the new offense with BoB, I wonder if the stink is impregnated so bad in Mac after this year that one season won't be enough to clean it up, maybe half season, and he will need to be just a game manager until they decide to take the training wheels off.

Even with BoB, I'm not sure this talk about this being the year he needs to prove he has it, is correct. More like a 2 year process after a disgraceful 2nd year which falls in line with the expectations to stay with Mac or move on.

 

[203Pat]

There used to be guy here, they said in his scouting report:


He turned out to be pretty good in the end. Now before y'all jump on me, let's just wait and see if the the kid can improve this year. Throw out 2022, that whole situation sucked. Like someone else in the organization, this is a make or break year. I am not saying that Mac can be anything close to Tom Brady, but I am saying that maybe he can be good enough. If, after 2023, he still sucks, then we can launch him.

I am not even going to get into one is the greatest of all time and all that but one was a 6th round pick and the other was the 15th overall. A 6th round pick is a long term project usually. Reading a similar scouting report about a guy you took in round one is a whole different story.

 

[crawhammer]

Meyers missed three games. Parker missed four games. Agholor massively regressed. Thornton had his moments, but was lost out there most of the season. Bourne regressed more than anyone on the team going from the Patriots’ best WR in 2021 to mostly an afterthought in 2022. Let’s not rewrite history here.

I know players missed games. Guess what, **** happens, it's a hard contact sport, players get hurt on every team every season.

The players I mentioned did not regress in their ability (and in some cases in their production).

Meyers had more Y/R, more Y/G, more TDs, and a higher catch% than 2021.

Parker had more Y/R, more yards, more TDs, and a higher catch% than 2021 (in Miami).

I didn't mention Agholor. He was mostly garbage. However, he did haul in the best reception of the season (when he ripped the ball away from the DB at PIT).

Bourne got ****ed over by the coaching staff. He was the same receiver he's always been, the team just refused to play him enough. He had significantly less snaps and targets than 2021... there's no legitimate excuse for that.

Thornton was pretty useless and he won't be a factor in the league unless he bulks up significantly.

Hunter Henry had more Y/R and a higher catch% than 2021 but he wasn't getting targeted enough (whether it was a flaw of the scheme or Mac just didn't see him), especially in the red zone where he was money last season.

 

[crawhammer]

Lamar Jackson was arguably one of the worst passing QB in the league when he won MVP. He was an mediocre passer. What won him MVP that season was that he rushed for 1200 yards and seven TDs. Comparing him with Jones isn’t fair.

This is a completely clueless take. Lamar led the NFL with 36 passing TDs and a 9.0 TD%. He was top 10 in completion% and INT%. He was 3rd in passer rating (113.2) and 1st in QBR by a wide margin (83.0). Plus yes, he ran for a billion yards as a quarterback, so contrary to some arguments, this is not a negative. Lamar was a great passer and runner in 2019. Deserving of unanimous NFL MVP (the only other NFL player to ever be a unanimous MVP was Brady in 2010).

 

[Steve102]

I am not even going to get into one is the greatest of all time and all that but one was a 6th round pick and the other was the 15th overall. A 6th round pick is a long term project usually. Reading a similar scouting report about a guy you took in round one is a whole different story.

Hmmm I dunno. He came in as a high floor, low ceiling guy. Where he was in the draft is really based on supply and demand. Very few hit the ground and are great on day one or even season one. He may very well be just what he is: a bottom tier QB. I don't think any of us know because the coaching situation sucked so bad. I really want to see what BoB does before I sell low on the kid.

 

[Ross12]

 

[203Pat]

Hmmm I dunno. He came in as a high floor, low ceiling guy. Where he was in the draft is really based on supply and demand. Very few hit the ground and are great on day one or even season one. He may very well be just what he is: a bottom tier QB. I don't think any of us know because the coaching situation sucked so bad. I really want to see what BoB does before I sell low on the kid.

I agree on giving Mac a chance this year with Billy O to really see what we have. I just see some physical limitations from him that are hard to ignore. Not even just the physical issues is the fact that he seemed to look skittish in the pocket much more this season than he did as a rookie. Mac also seemed to want to tuck the ball and run or roll out of the pocket but wouldn't keep his eyes down field. It was like he made his decision to run and that was that. With proper technique and coaching he may develop into a QB who can carry the team but only time will tell.