Patriots' Most Vital Contract Decision Revealed

The New England Patriots spent a whole lot of money this offseason, utilizing their expansive cap room to revamp a roster that was probably the worst in the NFL last year.

In doing so, however, the Patriots have put themselves in a bit of a situation when it comes to their salary cap situation in future years, as their available money disintegrates following 2025.

As a result, New England will have some very intriguing decisions to make heading into the future, and that includes whether or not the Pats extend some of their own players.

Bleacher Report's Moe Moton has unveiled the most important decision for every NFL team on that end with the regular season just around the corner, and for the Patriots, he labeled cornerback Marcus Jones as the one player they need to concern themselves with the most.

"Under the Patriots' previous two regimes, Jones has contributed to all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams," Moton wrote. "In his rookie term, he made the AFC All-Pro roster as a special-teams player, leading the league in punt return yards with a punt return for a touchdown."

"Jones also caught four passes for 78 yards and a touchdown that year. After missing 15 games in 2023, he finished second on the team in pass breakups (10) for the 2024 term. Jones isn't a household name, but he's an accomplished do-it-all player who's earned a pay raise."

Jones hasn't really been used much as an offensive weapon since 2022, but he remains a unique piece on New England's roster and has developed into a very solid cornerback.

Last year, the 26-year-old registered 58 tackles, an interception and a couple of fumble recoveries in addition to his pass breakups, a rather solid stat line for a player who isn't all that well known.

With the Pats already having Christian Gonzalez and free-agent signing Carlton Davis in tow, it will be interesting to see how they approach things with Jones.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!