If you're looking for positive press surrounding the New England Patriots, it might be hard to find at the moment.
A report from Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio that Bill Belichick "shopped" Mac Jones in trade talks this offseason has resurfaced the tension between head coach and quarterback that stemmed from a dysfunctional offensive setup in 2022. While Matt Patricia and Joe Judge are out and Bill O'Brien is in at offensive coordinator, the fallout from 2022 has persisted, with Brian Hoyer's release and the Jones report both reportedly stemming from their criticism of last season's offensive system.
Will that dysfunction continue in 2023, or can Belichick and Jones let bygones be bygones and lead the team back to the postseason? On a new Patriots Talk Podcast, Patriots Insiders Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry both made the case for sunnier days in Foxboro.
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"I think that there's a 75 percent chance there's a happily ever after in 2023. I do," Curran said. "... I think (Jones) is going to be a good player, and I think Bill is going to be happy to see that. A lot of hugs, a lot of pats on the back during stretching. I think it's going to work."
Perry agreed with Curran -- with one caveat.
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"It just comes down to how (Jones) plays. ... I think it could (work)," Perry replied. "I do think they still need to add talent. Bill O'Brien's great -- I don't know if he's enough, in their division, if Aaron Rodgers eventually gets here, for the team to have that kind of success."
The Patriots added two talented pass-catchers (JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki), a running back (James Robinson) and a pair of veteran offensive linemen (Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff) in free agency this offseason but also lost their No. 1 wideout in Jakobi Meyers. Considering the bar is already pretty low -- New England ranked 26th in yards per game last season as one of the league's least explosive offenses -- the team should target another dynamic receiver via trade or the 2023 NFL Draft.
Perry's Prototypical Pats: Explosive WRs available to upgrade Mac's options
If the Patriots find that additional weapon, though, fans should feel confident about Jones' ability to bounce back under O'Brien's tutelage since he thrived under Josh McDaniels as a rookie. If Belichick wants Jones to thrive, however, Perry believes the third-year quarterback can't be looking over his shoulder at backup Bailey Zappe.
"You really can't go into the season and throw your weight behind Mac Jones and say, 'This is our leader, this is our guy ,this is our starter' and somehow split first-team reps," Perry said. "If this is a competition, you're never going to find out if Mac Jones can lead. If that's one of your big questions about the guy, how's he supposed to (lead)? He's floated in trade talks, and now he's sharing time with Bailey Zappe? It's really difficult -- until he wins the job back and he becomes the no-doubt guy based on his performance on the field.
"Then maybe Bill O'Brien and that infusion of coaching acumen gets Mac Jones back to a level where there is no question he's the quarterback for the job. Not only is he the best quarterback in New England, but he's one of the better young quarterbacks in football, the way we were talking about him two seasons ago. That's the only way you can do it."
For more on the Belichick-Jones dynamic -- as well as Curran's observation that Belichick has gone through what Jones went through in 2022 -- subscribe to the Patriots Talk Podcast or watch on YouTube below.