For all the talk about what the New England Patriots should do with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Brian Hoyer may have given a previously unheard-of suggestion to his former team.
In an interview on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football show, the veteran backup quarterback said he’d like to see the Patriots pair Mac Jones with Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
“I’m gonna stick up for my guy Mac [Jones], I know that he’s kinda got a raw deal the past couple of years,” Hoyer said about what he’d like to see the Patriots do in the draft. “Being a quarterbacks guy myself and looking at a guy like Marvin Harrison Jr. – I know what Mac’s capable of, I witnessed it his rookie year and I don’t know if there’s been a receiver in recent times that’s been more prepared.”
It is a “new” suggestion in the sense that most of the speculation surrounding Jones has been about his potential departure this offseason. The former first-round quarterback, heading into his fourth season, has been bereft of the confidence and potential he once showed during his rookie season.
And while Hoyer’s opinion on Jones won’t carry as much weight as maybe someone who was on the Patriots this past season, who had an up-close view of what led to his benching for the final six games, he isn’t alone in his belief in Jones.
Former Patriots team captain and safety Devin McCourty recently revealed that he still believes in Jones. However, McCourty advocated for Jones to get a second chance elsewhere rather than staying in Foxboro for another season.
Although, whether that second chance comes with the Patriots or not, it is hard to ignore that Jones’ downfall shouldn’t fall squarely on his shoulders. His regression in 2022 can partially be blamed on Bill Belichick’s decision not to hire an experienced offensive coordinator to replace McDaniels while also not building around him in terms of weapons.
Both of those decisions or mistakes came back to bite him this past season, even with Bill O’Brien’s return to Foxboro as the play-caller, as the Patriots fielded an offense with a makeshift offensive line and an arsenal of weapons that didn’t have any difference makers. Altogether, this would lead to Jones’ eventual benching, as he looked like a shell of his former rookie self, leading the Patriots to a 2-10 record as the starter.
Adding Harrison would certainly give the Patriots the No. 1 receiver they desperately need. But would Jones be the right quarterback to have throwing him the football?
That will be a question that new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and co. will look to figure out in the coming weeks leading up to free agency and the draft.
