Why Patriots should be reluctant to move key players at trade deadline

FOXBORO -- Jonathan Jones joined a very small group of Patriots when he was looked to as the player to break down the New England locker room after its win last weekend. That responsibility was once held by Tedy Bruschi, who kick-started the "Aw, yeah!" tradition, and was later passed to Matthew Slater.

With Ja'Whaun Bentley injured -- the veteran linebacker broke down the team following its win in Cincinnati in Week 1 -- Jones stepped to the fore to take on those duties following a 25-22 victory over the Jets.

"Just spur of the moment," Jones said Wednesday. "Just trying to carry over some things that are important, to see guys have a tradition, just some things that are consistent, have been consistent around here, just trying to carry that on."

Jones is one of the last Patriots players remaining who is accustomed to hearing that once-familiar locker-room refrain on an almost weekly basis. He's one of the few who was on the roster the last time the Patriots won a Super Bowl (2018 season).

Asked about the upcoming NFL trade deadline, because his name has popped up in trade rumors, Jones sounded like his former boss Bill Belichick. "Control what you can control," he said.

Jones hasn't necessarily been the most vocal of Patriots since arriving to the team as an undrafted rookie, but since Devin McCourty's retirement, he's taken on more of a leading role in the New England secondary. Despite likely having value to teams looking for secondary help, Jones is a player the Patriots should be reluctant to deal.

Whether it's Jones, receiver Kendrick Bourne or defensive tackle Davon Godchaux -- all players whose names have been bandied about in trade rumors -- the Patriots should want to hold onto them all.

They may be among New England's most attractive potential trade targets for other teams. But the prices available for good players don't appear to be overwhelming. (The Panthers received just a Day 3 pick swap for dealing receiver Diontae Johnson to the Ravens on Tuesday.) Additionally, those players provide something that a late-round draft pick can't when it comes to the culture that coach Jerod Mayo is trying to foster for a rebuilding organization.

Mayo was asked Wednesday about the importance of having "program guys" during a rebuild.

"Look, to us, we're in the business of bringing in good players and keeping our good players," Mayo said. "I think you bring up an interesting point as far as, like, the culture guys. I do think that's important. I also would say I think it's important with the coaches as well, to bring in guys that really believe in the culture and where we're trying to go. Definitely, we take those things into consideration."

Someone like Jones can not only help disseminate the head coach's message through the locker room, but he can also be a role model for young players still learning.

"I think it's important," Jones said. "I don't know if it's so much culture guys as it is guys who stand for what you want to believe as a coach, as an organization. It's just good to have people like that around to just lead... Whether it's vocally (or otherwise).

"But to have younger guys look up and say, 'Hey, this guy's doing things the right way. Let me look up to him and try to pattern after him.' It's always important to have guys that you feel like are going the right things around."

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Especially for this Patriots team at this point in time. Go back a couple of decades and look at all the talented culture-builders Belichick and Scott Pioli could've sent off in 2000 for draft capital. But holding onto players they knew could help them win while helping them create the culture they wanted to create? That mattered.

Bourne has made it clear he wants to be considered a leader in his team's young receiver room. While trading him might net the Patriots a pick that could help them down the line when they hope to be more competitive, it also might sap the Patriots of one of their best players at that position. Not to mention a player who tends to have a positive impact on the team's overall energy level.

"I'm definitely a buy-in guy," Bourne said Wednesday. "I'm not looking for certain things outside of winning. I'm just trying to keep that mindset. Blocking, doing different things that contribute besides catching the ball. 

"I had a rough game last week catching the ball, but I felt like in the running game I did a good job. Just trying to contribute in different ways that can keep you around certain teams."

The Patriots would be wise to keep him around and others like him. 

Professionals. Accomplished veterans. Positive locker-room influences. Lead-by-example types. For a rebuilding team still laying the foundation, those kinds of players are worth their weight in gold.