Phil Perry explains why the Patriots haven’t used Marcus Jones as a receiver this season
Eyebrows across New England were raised Thursday when Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt admitted he didn't know Marcus Jones had taken offensive snaps as a rookie before the speedy cornerback texted Van Pelt asking for playing time on offense.
"That was the first it had come to my attention that he had played offensive plays," Van Pelt told reporters after revealing that Jones' text prompted him to give Jones a pair of offensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
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On its face, this isn't a great look for the organization. How did Van Pelt not know that a player in his own locker room -- who caught four passes for 78 yards during the 2022 season, including an electric 48-yard touchdown -- could be used as a dynamic offensive weapon on a team desperately lacking in that department? And how did no one on the coaching staff -- including head coach Jerod Mayo, who's been with the team since 2019 -- let Van Pelt know?
Patriots Insider Phil Perry provided a bit of context Thursday on Arbella Early Edition, explaining that Van Pelt may not have been notified in part because the team prefers to use Jones primarily as a cornerback and punt returner.
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"They don't view him as an offensive player," Perry said, as seen in the video player above. "They see him as a defensive guy. And the reason they don't want to put more on his plate is because he did do more of that back in 2022 when Matt Patricia was running the show (as de facto offensive coordinator), and it was really difficult.
"The guy was on his feet -- full pads on your feet on the sidelines for an entire 60 minutes, essentially, because he (plays) special teams, offense and defense. And even if he didn't play the entire game offensively, you do have to just sort of stand behind the coach and wait for your name to be called if you're in that sort of role.
"So, I think that's what it was, and it was sort of out of sight, out of mind."
Jones indeed was very busy as a rookie, playing 370 snaps on defense and 164 snaps on special teams in addition to his cameos on offense. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury just two weeks into the 2023 season, however, so it appears New England wants to maximize his talents as a cornerback and returner rather than stretch him thin by giving him significant offensive reps.
"I knew this question was coming," Mayo said Friday when asked why Van Pelt didn't know about Jones' offensive history. "Look, the primary focus for us this year was to get Marcus healthy and get Marcus ready to go as a cornerback and a punt returner. That was the primary goal.
"Look, how much time do we want to spend on gadget plays? He’s most valuable on the defensive side of the ball."
Fans may disagree with Mayo about that last part, especially considering the Patriots' lack of dynamic playmakers on offense. But if you're expecting to see more of Jones on offense down the stretch, don't get your hopes up.
"I don't think he's all of a sudden going to get a huge package of plays moving forward," Perry added of Jones. "At the foundation of this, they don't see him as an offensive player."
The 3-8 Patriots will travel to Miami this Sunday to face the 4-6 Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
