Highlights
- The New England Patriots will release cornerback J.C. Jackson, per reports.
- With the move, New England now leads the NFL with more than $100 million in cap room, setting up a pivotal offseason for the franchise.
- Jackson has struggled in recent years, but as a former Second-Team All-Pro who is still in his 20s, he should be able to find a pillow contract with another team this offseason.
The New England Patriots are entering a period of serious change for the franchise.
Longtime head coach Bill Belichick is gone, with former Patriots’ linebacker Jerod Mayo stepping into his place, and the team will almost certainly select a new franchise quarterback with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Ahead of this pivotal offseason, the team is gearing up for a transaction-heavy free agency period.
Per Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team, the Patriots are releasing former Second-Team All-Pro cornerback J.C. Jackson, freeing up around $14 million in cap space.
The move pushes the Patriots just above $100 million in total cap room, which now leads the NFL a week out from the legal tampering period. Armed with so much financial flexibility and a chance to bring in one of this year’s “Big 3” quarterbacks, can the Patriots rebuild their roster on the fly this offseason?
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The Patriots have a lot of team needs to tackle this offseason, mostly on offense. The defense ranked seventh in the league in yards allowed last year, but their offense tied for last with 13.9 points scored per game.
Luckily for New England, the wide receiver draft class, free agent group, and trade market are stacked this year. All of Davante Adams, Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Evans, Stefon Diggs, Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Malik Nabers (LSU), and Rome Odunze (Washington) will be available by some means this offseason, and failing to upgrade a receiving corps led by sixth-round rookie Demario Douglas would be organizational malpractice.
The team also needs to beef up the offensive line, though they can start by retaining in-house free agents Mike Onwenu and Trent Brown. Other notable offensive linemen who will be available this offseason include: Tyron Smith, Andrus Peat, Jason Kelce (retirement pending), Joe Alt (Notre Dame), Olu Fashanu (Penn State), and J.C. Latham (Alabama).
By cutting Jackson, the Patriots are left with Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Shaun Wade, Isaiah Bolden, and Marco Wilson on the cornerback depth chart. If Gonzalez has a smooth return from his season-ending labrum injury, the Patriots won’t have a massive need at cornerback even when accounting for Jackson’s departure.
As for Jackson, he’s only two years removed from leading the NFL in pass deflections, and his 2021 season still stands out as one of the better cornerback performances in recent memory.
|
J.C. Jackson, Past 3 Seasons |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Year |
Tackles |
Pass Deflections |
INTs |
Completion % Allowed |
Passer Rating Allowed |
|
2021 |
58 |
23 |
8 |
49.1% |
46.8 |
|
2022 |
15 |
2 |
0 |
66.7% |
149.3 |
|
2023 |
28 |
9 |
1 |
54.7% |
100.5 |
He ranked second in the NFL in interceptions in 2021 (and 2020, when he had 9), and by the end of his initial tenure with the Patriots, had turned himself into one of the premier cover corners in the league.
Unfortunately for him, Jackson parlayed that success into a massive contract to play for Brandon Staley’s defense with the Los Angeles Chargers. Under Staley, Jackson became a sieve, allowing a near-perfect passer rating in five games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
He played a little better to start the 2023 season, and the Chargers dealt him (and a seventh-round pick) back to the Patriots for a mere sixth-round draft pick. Jackson was mediocre at best in his second stint with New England, allowing a 107.8 passer rating in ten games with his original franchise.
It’s been a precipitous fall from grace for the University of Florida alum, though Jackson is still just 28 years old and has 52 games of starting experience in the NFL under his belt. He’ll have to settle for a short-term, prove-it deal this offseason, but Jackson should find some team willing to buy into his upside and past performance.
Source: Ari Meirov
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise. All salary cap info via Spotrac.
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