The Patriots Reportedly Won’t Franchise Tag 1 Player

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The New England Patriots have always been great at player development.

That is one of the main reasons for their dynasty over the past two decades.

But, they have also made smart moves in free agency.

Rarely do they overpay for players, and if they lose someone valuable, they always seem to replace him.

Well, this offseason the Patriots had to make a tough decision on cornerback Jonathan Jones.

He was a valuable piece of the Patriots’ defense and someone they would hate to let go of.

Yet, they still needed to do what was best for their whole roster.

According to Ian Rapoport, the Patriots will not franchise tag Jonathan Jones.

The #Patriots won’t franchise tag standout CB Jonathan Jones, source said. He’ll hit the market, though New England has interest in bringing him back.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2023

This all but guarantees that he will be playing for a new team in 2023.

Jones will be 30 years old at the start of next season.

But, he is coming off a career year where he recorded four interceptions and 11 passes defended.

New England must feel confident in their ability to develop cornerbacks, which is why they rarely re-sign their own.

They did the same thing with J.C. Jackson after last season.

He had an all-pro year, yet the Patriots let him walk in free agency.

It seems like that was the right move for the Pats as Jackson struggled to stay healthy last year.

New England continues to build their roster through the draft, along with finding some steals in free agency.

If they can get a quality player on the cheap, the Patriots almost always jump at the opportunity.

Jones will have a strong market for cornerback-needy teams but expect the Patriots to look elsewhere.

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