Raiders rumored to inquire about Mac Jones as tensions rise in New England
Though Las Vegas brought in Jimmy Garoppolo and recently signed Brian Hoyer, the franchise may benefit from the tension between the Patriots and their young quarterback.
New England Patriots quarterback, Mac Jones, sits in the center of another offseason full of rumors.
As reported by Doug Kyed of A to Z Sports, the tension between Jones and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is real and goes both ways. So, naturally, Belichick is shopping Jones to "multiple teams," on that list is the Las Vegas Raiders, who, though they have Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster, could still be aiming at moving younger in the quarterback room by the start of the 2023 season.
Along with the Raiders, the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Commanders were listed as possible landing spots for the 2021 first-round draft pick.
Where things get murky is trying to find reports that state with certainty that the Patriots are in fact shopping Jones to specifically the Raiders.
Apparently, a source told Mark Daniels of MassLive that they were not aware of Jones being shopped, with additional sources adding that the Patriots have not discussed the quarterback with either the Buccaneers or Raiders:
What can not be denied, however, is that there was word going around the NFL last month that the Raiders could try to trade for Jones. Signing Garoppolo threw a wrench into those initial plans.
There is nothing certain regarding the Raiders and a move for Jones. But where there is smoke, there is often fire. So the facts of the case are the relationship between Belichick and Jones isn't great, Belichick has been shopping the quarterback to differing teams, there is confusion between which specific teams Belichick has been listening to offers from, and the Raiders may be one of those teams, and if Las Vegas is able to land Jones the organization is taking advantage of a rare moment of dysfunction in New England.
If Jones lands in Las Vegas, it could be a way for the franchise secures a younger quarterback and former first-round pick without necessarily using one of its early picks on a quarterback who will be a developmental project. Jones is NFL-ready. He has two seasons under his belt. And it could give Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels a young quarterback he could mold in his image.
It is a move that, on paper, at least makes a little sense, but time will tell if either side pulls the trigger on a deal.
