Patriots reportedly would like Jonathan Jones back, but are willing to be patient

Jones is set to enter unrestricted free agency later this month.

The New England Patriots’ list of free agents may lack blue-chip star power, but it still features some valuable members of the team. Among them is Jonathan Jones, who served as a starting cornerback in 2022 and led the team with four interceptions.

Jones is scheduled to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career on March 15. The Patriots would like him to return but are apparently willing to take a patient approach. Despite the market opening in less than two weeks, the two sides have yet to conduct any substantial negotiations.

A recent report by Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald outlined where the two parties stand at this point in time:

To this point, there’s been little movement on cornerback Jonathan Jones, who along with Jakobi Meyers, stand as the top Patriots set to hit the market on March 15.

According to a source, the Patriots have indicated they’d like to have Jones back. At this stage, however, there have been no substantive talks to that end.

While there has been a lack of movement, the expectation is that team representatives led by director of player personnel Matt Groh will meet with Jones’ camp at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Jones originally joined the Patriots in 2016 as a rookie free agent. Over the next few years, he developed into an important piece in the team’s secondary. First making a name for himself as one of the better slot cornerbacks in the NFL, he transitioned to the perimeter in 2022 after the team had lost J.C. Jackson in free agency.

Even though he lacked experience playing on the outside, Jones played some solid football. While not a true shutdown cornerback like ex-Patriot Stephon Gilmore, or a consistent ball-hawk like Jackson, he was a mostly reliable presence in New England’s defensive backfield.

According to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered 47 catches on 87 targets for 547 yards and six touchdowns while also notching the aforementioned four interceptions. Additionally, Jones scored a pick-six and forced three fumbles. He ended the year first among the Patriots’ cornerbacks with 894 defensive snaps played over 16 games.

Jones set himself up well for his first ever trip to free agency. At the end of the day, however, his preference would be to return to New England.

“I would hope so,” he said earlier this offseason. “That’s where I spent my career. It’s what I know. It’s what I love. New England is home for me in that aspect. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how free agency turns out, and we’ll take it from there.”

With both sides having expressed interest in continuing to work together, the basis for a deal appears to be in place. Of course, free agency follows its own rules. Jones returning is therefore no guarantee, especially if the Patriots do follow a familiar and often-used playbook: allowing the 29-year-old to test the market while simultaneously keeping an open line of communication.