A painful end for CB Jones
MRI shows torn ACL, meniscus
Cornerback Cyrus Jones’ redemption tour never fully got underway, as his knee injury is actually a bit worse than initially believed.
An MRI yesterday revealed Jones did indeed tear the ACL in his right knee, as well as his meniscus, according to a source. He will miss the 2017 season.
Jones’ knee buckled Thursday night in the second quarter of the preseason finale against the Giants when he planted his leg while in coverage along the sideline. The medical staff gave him an ACL test in the locker room, and his knee was loose and badly swollen, which was a strong sign that the ACL was torn.
The 2016 second-round pick, who was going to open the season as the Patriots’ top punt returner, will have surgery when the swelling subsides. Jones was having a nice summer in the return game, though he probably would have only been the fifth cornerback on the depth chart.
Either way, he appeared to have shaken the yips that plagued his rookie season, which yielded some promise for his chances as a returner in 2017. Now, he’ll have to work toward 2018.
Trading day
The Patriots’ incoming trades are typically the ones that catch everyone off-guard.
Yesterday, they kicked off the roster shuffling with an outgoing move, as they sent cornerback Justin Coleman to the Seahawks for a seventh-round draft pick (from the Eagles), according to a source.
Coleman was held out of the preseason finale along with a few dozen other veterans to indicate his status inside the cut line. But when the Seahawks made an acceptable offer, the Patriots went in an unexpected direction.
Now, the question is who will take Coleman’s roster spot, and there’s a logical case to be made for two cornerbacks. Coleman was a nice backup corner for defensive purposes, but he wasn’t as highly rated as a special teamer, which is important for the final corner on the depth chart.
Kenny Moore has improved tremendously as a gunner, and Will Likely can return punts, which is even more important now without Jones.
Early cuts
The Patriots got to work early on their heavy round of roster cuts. They released five players yesterday: tight end Sam Cotton, offensive lineman Jason King, safety Jason Thompson, linebacker Mikey Bart and fullback Glenn Gronkowski, according to sources.
They began the day with 90 players before the trade of Coleman and those cuts. Wide receiver Julian Edelman, defensive end Derek Rivers and Jones all will land on injured reserve, and offensive lineman Andrew Jelks will remain on the non-football injury list. Keionta Davis, who hasn’t practiced since signing in camp, appears headed for an injured list as a stashand-save player.
All of those moves leave the Patriots with 79 players. They need to cut to 53 by 4 p.m. today.