Mac Jones Trade Rumors? Patriots Ex Staffer Michael Lombardi Disputes Claims
There has been no shortage of trade rumors surrounding New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones over the past few weeks.
And following a sophomore slump where he tossed just 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, it's not out of the equation New England has at least taken calls for the third-year signal caller.
However, longtime NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who served as an assistant to the Patriots coaching staff in 2015, does not believe there is anything worth reporting regarding a potential Jones trade.
“I know he’s not shopping Mac, but I’m not saying that Florio’s report is completely wrong,” Lombardi said on the GM Shuffle podcast. “Because I wouldn’t be surprised if Nick [Caserio] or some other team called him up because they’re reading all the [expletive] in the paper… But that’s not shopping.”
Lombardi, who was apart of the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX staff in his lone season in New England, states that even Jones, a first round pick in 2021 has a price tag.
However, just because Belichick and Co. answer calls regarding the quarterback, does not mean they are actively shipping him.
“Did the Texans call Bill and say, ‘Are you going to move Mac?’ and he said, ‘What do you offer?’ Because every player is available, right? But not every player is being shopped. So the idea that he’s shopping Mac is that’s against everything he would do,” Lombardi said. “First of all, he’s the most secretive person in the league. He’s not going to tell you anything he’s doing. Even some people in the organization don’t know.
“But if somebody comes to him and says, ‘I’ll give you a [first] for Mac.’ I mean, OK, does that mean he’s shopping him? No, that just means somebody asked the question.”
If Jones does return under center for New England, he will look to replicate his Pro Bowl rookie campaign where the Patriots finished 9-8 and reached the postseason.
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