Jonathan Jones is slated to hit free agency, and with Jones now being in his 30s and declining, it was time to move on from him anyway.
So, what will the Patriots do here? Will they utilize their cap space to sign a cornerback in free agency? Will they trade for one? Will they turn to the NFL Draft?
Well, the Green Bay Packers may have an answer for them, as they are making two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander available for trade.
Christian D’Andrea of USA Today has already put together a list of teams that represent the top potential landing spots for Alexander, and not surprising, New England was on it.
“Alexander can be that guy after allowing less than 57 percent of his targets to be caught last season. But new head coach Mike Vrabel is also tasked with building a new culture for a team with eight wins the last two seasons,” D’Andrea wrote. “Is a cornerback who frustrated the Packers enough to earn a one-game suspension for declaring himself a captain the right fit?”
To be fair, the suspension for Alexander came in 2023. He didn’t cause any issues this past season. The only problem with Alexander is his injury history.
The 28-year-old has played in just 14 games over the past couple of seasons and has appeared in a grand total of 34 contests over the last four years overall.
When healthy, Alexander is genuinely an elite corner, as evidenced by his 2022 campaign in which he registered 56 tackles, five interceptions anf 14 passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a Second-Team All-Pro selection.
But he definitely comes with a significant injury risk, so the Pats would have to be careful when it comes to surrendering assets for him.
