It’s a lost season for the Patriots, but they still have eight games left to play, so Bill Belichick and Co. might as well make the most of them.

How do they do that? By assessing what they have for the future. We get into some of those future decisions in this week’s mailbag.

Fans want to know about Mac Jones, Kayshon Boutte, top pass-catching prospects and more.

@pats300levelpod
What is the likelihood the Patriots pick up Macs 5th year option? If they do is it more likely due to their faith in Mac hoping he can turn it around after the situation he has been given on O the last year and a half Or is it that there aren’t suitable upgrades available?
I’d say it’s looking unlikely at this point, especially if there is a regime change.

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We’re only halfway through the season, so things could still turn around, but Mac Jones has now had two straight years of regression. Picking up his fifth-year option after the season would mean not only committing to him for the 2024 season but also 2025. Jones wouldn’t even be starting right now if the Patriots had a better backup option behind him. He would have lost the top job after being benched two straight weeks against the Cowboys and Saints.

Jones has played better since those two games, but it’s only translated to one win against the Bills.

It’s definitely true that Jones is in a bad situation. He’s had three offensive coordinators in three years (who are all running versions of the same offense), a weak set of offensive playmakers and a porous offensive line. But even that doesn’t excuse all of the dumb mistakes he’s made over the first nine weeks of the season.

It’s unclear who will be coaching or making personnel decisions for the Patriots in 2024. But if that person is not Bill Belichick, then what exactly has Jones prove to the rest of the NFL over the last three years?

And if Jones isn’t playing with the Patriots in 2024, then it seems unlikely that he would be handed a starting job elsewhere. I do think there would be interest in Jones playing in certain systems. He would provide a very strong backup option for a team running a Shanahan-style system.

@killerhz
do you think the JC decision was based solely on missing curfew or did the report from the chargers GM of his actions & lack of commitment during his tenure play a part

I don’t think that anything that transpired between the Chargers and J.C. Jackson had any influence on the cornerback not making the trip to Germany with the rest of the Patriots. That wouldn’t be fair to Jackson since he started anew after being traded. But I think it does show a pattern of behavior that might have followed Jackson back to New England.

I’m not sure how this plays out between the Patriots and Jackson at this point. I think if they were going to cut him, then it would have happened before he didn’t make the trip to Germany.

But that doesn’t mean that another incident could spur that action.

@2cazz
Boutte getting a shot at any point?
This would be a good week for it. But the same could have been said about last week.

Patriots starting “X” receiver DeVante Parker has been ruled out with a concussion and didn’t make the trip to Germany. Jalen Reagor filled in for Parker last week, but he had a bad drop on a deep pass. Second-year pro Tyquan Thornton also got benched early in the game.

There seems to be a potential spot for Kayshon Boutte on the active roster alongside Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster and either Reagor or Thornton. And it’s worth seeing how Boutte looks over the final eight games of the season so the Patriots know what they have in the LSU product in 2024 and beyond.

@proudblackmatt
Hi Doug, with the recent leaks from inside the building (Bill’s “lucrative multi-year contract”, Mac “infuriates” coaching staff, the immediate information on JC and Jack Jones situations) do you get a sense that people in the building are starting to get nervous?
I think that’s possible. But I also think that a losing season like this one leads to frustration and a lot of venting.

@randomsnsndns
Are we gonna tank or are kraft and belichick too stubborn??
I don’t think they really need to tank. The roster is bad enough that the Patriots aren’t winning games without them actively trying to lose.

@ajones2513
If you had to choose, Bowers or Harrison jr
I would take Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr., over Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.

@ThePatsPod
Hypothetical; Jerod Mayo is HC next season, who is the OC?
Bill O’Brien or Josh McDaniels would be the strongest candidates.

@Mark_1878_
Doug, how does NE fill the Devin McCourty sized hole in the secondary?
With better cornerback play and by moving Marte Mapu to linebacker.

@_AndrewCallahan
What are we listening to on the drive to the airport
With a playlist mostly consisting of Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen and 80s Ramones songs.

@TheRealNAOP
Who are the front runners for the Media Good Guy award?
Center David Andrews and safety Jabrill Peppers are up there.

@protonsson
was tom brady the system?
I don’t think anyone could possibly call Tom Brady a system quarterback at this point. I’ll say that.