Jones is already being Judged
QB and new coach work closely on first day of OTAS
FOXBORO » Life after Josh Mcdaniels has brought some not-so-subtle changes for Mac Jones.
The Patriots’ second-year quarterback, who had Mcdaniels as his offensive coordinator, play-caller and quarterbacks coach last season, now has Joe Judge monitoring his every move. To this point, Judge has only acknowledged being the quarterbacks coach, though it’s possible he could assume all three roles. Until then, Jones intimated the coaching will go both ways.
“Obviously, he’s been around football for a long time, whether that’s as a head coach, special teams, playing the position himself. So he has knowledge that is very beneficial to me as a quarterback,” Jones said Monday after an OTA practice. “Obviously, I’m going to learn with him. The goal is to kind of teach each other, move along, and take what he knows, take the experiences that I have, and combine them, and work together as a great team.”
During Monday’s session, Jones worked closest with Judge, then head coach Bill Belichick and new offensive line coach Matt Patricia. Judge and Patricia will be heavily scrutinized throughout the spring and summer, both stepping into new roles with minimal experience coaching offense. Meanwhile, Jones was lauded for quickly mastering the Patriots’ complex system last year, one that likely will undergo minor to meaningful changes this offseason with a new staff.
Jones said he had a chance to get to know Judge a bit last year, when the Patriots shared joint training camp practices with the Giants. Judge, then New York’s head coach, admitted to being impressed with Jones, who shredded the Giants’ starting defense one afternoon. That was around the same time it’s believed Jones won over Belichick, who days later declared him the team’s starter over Cam Newton.
Fast forward, and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne also shared a positive review of Judge’s coaching so far. Judge worked periodically with the
wideouts in practice Monday, something he did more regularly as the team’s receivers coach in 2019.
“Great coach. Great motivator. Just a different style,” said Bourne. “It’s exciting so far.”
Bourne indicated that Judge had a different coaching style than McDaniels, and offered up different coaching points than his potential predecessor.
“He’s good at using our strengths,” Bourne said, “putting us in the right position to be successful.”
Belichick mum on play-caller
Bill Belichick didn’t even wait for the question to conclude.
Who will be the Patriots’ next offensive play-call—
“Months away. Months,” he interrupted Monday during a morning press conference. “What plays are we calling? Mini-camp plays?”
On the topic of who will replace former offensive coordinator Josh Mcdaniels, Belichick would only confirm there is a time he must identify a new offensive play-caller, but claimed he didn’t have a specific time in mind.
“When we get to it, we’ll get to it,” he added.
If the Patriots choose a coach who hasn’t called plays before, like Joe Judge, how would Belichick prepare them?
“Some of the things we do in training camp,” he said.
Could Belichick call offensive plays?
“I’ve called them and I haven’t called them. And other people have called them and they haven’t called them,” he said. “So, we’ll see.”
Mcmillan, Mcgrone ready to return
Veteran linebacker Raekwon Mcmillan impressed the Patriots enough last summer to land a one-year contract extension in the middle of his recovery from a torn ACL that sidelined him for the season.
Now back on the field, Mcmillan is starting in the middle of Bill Belichick’s defense during OTAS and eager to make an impact.
“After sitting back and watching last year, I’m ready to go this year,” he said Monday.
Mcmillan credited the coaching he’s received from Pats assistants Jerod Mayo and Steve Belichick, whom he called two of the best NFL coaches he’s had in the NFL. The sixth-year linebacker described Belichick as “cerebral” and said Mayo brings daily energy to get the linebackers room motivated. Despite last playing in 2020, when he logged 27 tackles, a pass breakup and one forced fumble for the Raiders, Mcmillan should be in the mix to start this year.
He started 28 games over two prior seasons in Miami, the latter under former Pats assistant Brian Flores. But to return to the starting lineup, Mcmillan will need to fight off second-year linebacker Cameron Mcgrone, who also missed all of last season.
Mcgrone has drawn rave reviews from Patriots decision-makers both publicly and privately. The 2021 fifth-round pick recovered from his own torn ACL last November, when he practiced with the team for two weeks before reverting to injured reserve. Despite the time away, Mcgrone sounds ready to hit the field.
He said Monday: “There’s no nervous going on in my body.”
Smith attending every OTA
A year ago, Jonnu Smith and his wife celebrated the birth of their first daughter, whose arrival led the veteran tight end to skip most of OTAS.
When Smith returned to practice, injury struck, the Patriots offense found the best version of itself without him and his playing time dipped significant after October. Nowadays, Smith is still smiling at the thought of his baby girl, but from the practice fields at Foxboro, where he’s been involved in every part of the team’s offseason program. And his extra time is being spent with teammates, which he expects to lead to a much more productive season in 2022.
“My (last) offseason was choppy,” he admitted Monday. “I had some great things like my baby girl being born, and I had some unfortunate setbacks, as well. I definitely missed some quality time here, man, and I recognize how valuable that time is. I’m just trying to take advantage of that.”
Last year, Smith became the third-highest paid tight end in football and finished with 28 catches for 294 yards and a touchdown. This season, his role in the offense could expand, considering former Pats fullback Jakob Johnson telling a German media outlet he was not re-signed because the team is eliminating his position.
Could that be because the team is incorporating more two-tight end sets?
“Maybe,” Smith said. “We’ll have to see opening day.”