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Report: Jaguars trade sixth-round pick for Mac Jones, add QB depth behind Trevor Lawrence
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- Report: Jaguars trade sixth-round pick for Mac Jones, add QB depth behind Trevor Lawrence
The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly traded a late-round draft pick for former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones , per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Jaguars reportedly will trade a sixth-round pick for Jones on Wednesday when the new league year opens, bringing him in to be a backup for starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence .
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Jones and Lawrence were both selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence at No. 1 overall and Jones with the 15th pick in the first round.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 22: New England Patriots Mac Jones #10 looks on before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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In three seasons with the Patriots, Jones passed for 8,918 yards and 46 touchdowns while throwing 36 interceptions and completing 66.1 percent of his passes.
He was a Pro Bowler as a rookie after starting all 17 games, but saw his tenure in New England take a turn from there. In the last two seasons, Jones started only 25 games after being benched for his struggles.
His final season in New England was his worst, statistically. In 11 games played, Jones passed for 2,120 yards and 10 touchdowns but threw 12 interceptions and completed only 64.9 percent of passes.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 08: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots walks off the field after his team's 34-0 loss against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
With New England's regime change this offseason and their No. 3 pick likely to be used on a quarterback next month, they were shopping Jones to give him a fresh start.
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He'll get that opportunity in his hometown of Jacksonville, where he was a standout at Bolles during his high school career.
The move helps the Jaguars raise the floor of their quarterback room.
Lawrence is the clear starter, but with his multiple injuries last season, Jones will give them another option if they find themselves without Lawrence. Last season, Lawrence battled four separate injuries that jeopardized him missing multiple games.
It started with a knee injury sustained against the Colts , then he picked up an ankle injury against the Bengals and a concussion in the Ravens game, before suffering a shoulder injury against the Buccaneers that forced him to miss the home finale against Carolina.
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And this all happened while CJ Beathard was nursing a shoulder injury that he sustained in the game against the Bengals .
Adding Jones gives Jacksonville depth at the most important position in the sport.
Juston Lewis is a Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on the website formerly known as Twitter at @JustonLewis_ .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Report: Jacksonville Jaguars trade for Patriots QB Mac Jones
