With the 2024 season in the books, MassLive will look at each position group on the Patriots, analyzing how the team performed and where it might be heading in the future. This is an important offseason for new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and owner Robert Kraft. This series continues with cornerbacks.
Cornerbacks: Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden, Marcellus Dial, Miles Battle, D.J. James
Contract situation: The Patriots have their No. 1 cornerback locked up but have some issues with depth at this position.
Gonzalez enters 2025 in the third year of his rookie contract. He’s signed through 2026 but the Patriots will have a fifth-year option for the 2027 season. Next season, Gonzalez has a cap hit of $4.118 million.
Other than Gonzalez, the Patriots have one cornerback signed through 2025.
Jonathan Jones, 31, is the Patriots most high-profile free agent this offseason. Austin is an exclusive rights free agent and easy to bring back.
Marcus Jones enters this season in the final year of his rookie deal. He’ll have a cap hit of $1.647 million. Bolden is signed through 2025 and has a cap hit of $960,000. Battle is signed through 2025 for $840,000. James signed a futures contract worth $840,000.
The only other cornerback with a deal through this season, Dial has a cap hit of $1.013 million and is signed through 2027.
2024 review: Any questions people had about Christian Gonzalez were quickly answered.
After his promising rookie campaign was cut short after four weeks, Gonzalez returned with a vengeance. The second-year player looked and played like a legitimate No. 1 cornerback. He routinely drew the opposing team’s top receiver as an assignment. Gonzalez was also rarely beaten.
Last season, Gonzalez gave up 21 catches on 54 targets (39%) for 273 yards with two touchdowns, nine pass breakups, and two interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks had a 52.4 passer rating when targeting Gonzalez in coverage. Those are elite numbers. He was snubbed from the Pro Bowl but earned Second-Team All-Pro honors.
Behind Gonzalez, there were more questions, but Patriots cornerbacks played well in 2024.
Jonathan Jones wasn’t always healthy, but he was usually efficient. The veteran cornerback allowed 16 catches on 34 targets (46%) for 323 yards with four touchdowns allowed and four pass breakups. He had a tough game against Los Angeles (two catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns allowed) but the veteran was a solid No. 2 cornerback.
Marcus Jones also came off a season-ending injury. He too put together the best defensive season of his career. Jones allowed 25 catches on 49 targets (51%) for 415 yards to go with two touchdowns. He finished second on the Patriots in passes defended (10).
The Patriots cycled through fourth cornerbacks. They started with Marco Wilson, who was later released. When Austin came back, off the injured reserve, he once again showed potential. The young cornerback was solid in man coverage, allowing five catches on 16 targets (31%) for 49 yards with a touchdown allowed and four pass breakups.
The Patriots also played Bolden, Dial, and Battle in the final two weeks.
The future: The cornerback position is a bigger need for the Patriots than people realize.
They have their No. 1 cornerback in Gonzalez and he’s likely signed through the 2027 season. After him, however, the long-term depth is almost nonexistent with Dial the only cornerback currently signed through next season.
Jonathan Jones has been rock solid for the Patriots. He’s a free agent and will be 32 next fall. The team’s slot cornerback, Marcus Jones, enters this year in a contract year. Austin is an exclusive rights free agent – and likely to be brought back on a 1-year deal.
The Patriots need to figure out who their No. 2 cornerback is going to be. The lack of long-term answers at this position makes this one more priority for the front office this offseason. The Patriots could look to draft an outside cornerback and pair a rookie with Gonzalez. That’s one way to get multiple young players on affordable contracts.
Another option is to bring in a veteran to play opposite of Gonzalez. There are some intriguing options. Top free agents include D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, Asante Samuel Jr., and Carlton Davis.
Veteran Adoree Jackson played for Mike Vrabel for three seasons in Tennessee. Rasul Douglas was last in Buffalo with new Patriots safeties coach Scott Booker.
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