Jack Jones didn’t have much to say when he met with the media Friday night following the team’s in-stadium practice for season ticket holders. Nothing of any substance, anyway.
Of course, having a 3-to-4 question limit imposed on the media by the Patriots didn’t help the situation. It made it much harder to glean information from the second-year cornerback.
And naturally, Jones was going to defer to his lawyer when it came to queries about his arrest on a slew of gun charges. The question, of course, still had to be asked about what went down on June 16th, when he was nabbed for having two firearms in his carry-on luggage at a security checkpoint in Logan Airport.
He also wasn’t going to provide any explanation for his most recent episode – abruptly walking out of practice Thursday, seemingly tapping out when things didn’t go his way. Jones was going to state the company line. And he did just that, saying whatever happened was in the past. And he’s moving on.
The question is, what’s he moving on to?
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Jail time? Testing Bill Belichick’s patience to the point the Patriots coach finally sends him packing? No pun intended.
The one noteworthy answer he gave, came when asked if he was worried about his future. It was the final question. And his answer was a doozy.
“I mean, every day you’re worried about your future on any team because this league is very liquid,” Jones said. “You could be here today and gone tomorrow on any team so you just have to go out there and participate. Availability is the best ability.”
And therein lies the rub.
Availability is the best ability. That’s a favorite saying of Belichick when it comes to his players.
It’s just hard to believe Jones fully grasps that concept given his history of trouble. Coming from him, it’s an oxymoron, because he’s been anything but available.
In 2018, he was kicked off USC’s football team for academic reasons.
Also that year, he was arrested for commercial burglary.
In 2020, he was suspended from Arizona State.
Last year, he was suspended by Belichick for violating team rules.
Then, of course, in June, he was arrested for allegedly trying to get two loaded guns through security at Logan Airport.
And on Thursday, it sure seemed like he just threw in the towel, and gave up on practice. It’s also possible he was kicked out, but the fact he returned and watched from the sideline suggests he briefly lost his mind.
So Jones has been anything but available. At every turn, he does something that takes him off the field. That’s his calling card.
And with all of that baggage, Jones has likely hit the tipping point. He’s teetering on the edge of losing his job with the Patriots, no matter how much talent or promise he possesses. And, more to the point, how much they need him in their secondary.
The Patriots certainly don’t want to give up on a player, especially one with his stellar man coverage skills. But Belichick, and more specifically team owner Robert Kraft, will only be pushed so far with a problem child especially with the stain of Aaron Hernandez lurking in the background.
As it is, they’re stomaching quite a bit. It’s just hard to believe they won’t eventually draw a line in the sand if this keeps up.
One would think Jones, who’s 25, would have learned his lesson by now. And yet, if that was the case, why would he allegedly haul a couple of unregistered guns to the airport and expect to get away with it?
And this was a few days after minicamp, where players are typically warned to stay out of trouble during the break.
Even with that, the Patriots stood by him, didn’t cut him, and he returned the favor by walking out of practice.
Availability is the best ability.
Jones shouldn’t utter those words, if he doesn’t try to live by them.
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