The New England Patriots are heading into the 2024 NFL trade deadline with quite a few pieces to keep an eye on. One of the biggest potential trade candidates on the roster is veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones.
Currently a starter for the Patriots, Jones does not appear to fit the long-term goals for New England. Moving him now and getting value for him would be a wise decision.
Drake Maye has given the franchise hope for the future. However, that future is simply not now. It will likely be a few years before the Patriots get back to being a serious contender in the AFC.
With Jones being 31 years old, that timeline will not fit for him. New England should get the best draft pick value that they can get for him and move on.
Keeping that in mind, Chad Graff of The Athletic has suggested a trade that would send Jones out of town. He thinks the Patriots should ship Jones to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.
“Brian Flores has Minnesota’s defense playing like one of the best in the league. He’s consistently mixing up his play calls and using exotic blitzes. It’s a lot of fun to watch,” Graff wrote. “But the Vikings could use depth at cornerback, and Flores has already added one former Patriot cornerback, signing Stephon Gilmore earlier this year. Perhaps Jones could be the next to go play for the former assistant who spent 15 seasons in New England.”
Jones would be an excellent addition for the Vikings’ defense. At this point in the season, they sure look the part of a potential contender in the NFC.
So far during the 2024 season, Jones has played in all seven games for New England. He has racked up 27 total tackles to go along with a forced fumble and three defended passes. Throughout his career, he has also shown himself more than capable of making plays and forcing interceptions.
His skill-set makes a lot of sense for Minnesota. Flores would likely love to have a cornerback duo of Gilmore and Jones starting on opposite sides of each other.
Granted, there are a lot of other teams around the NFL that could have interest in Jones. If the Patriots could get a bidding war started and somehow found a way to get a fifth-round pick for him, that would be ideal.
That being said, moving him in this suggested trade would be just fine. A sixth-round pick can end up bringing in a talented player. To get that pick for a player that doesn’t fit the long-term plans would be a win.
Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!