The Patriots made big moves on the first day of the legal tampering period, and among the most notable signings was the addition of impressive cornerback Carlton Davis from the Lions. He was immediately dubbed the perfect complement to Christian Gonzalez to help put together one of the best duos in the NFL, making his signing that much more exciting.
Although the secondary hasn't been considered one of the weaker groups of the defense, it was certainly needing an upgrade this offseason, whether through free agency or the draft. So it made sense to see the new regime move quickly to sign one of the best free agents of this year's class.
But as exciting as the move was, it put longtime veteran and key locker room figure Jonathan Jones in the hot seat, as he was set to be a free agent and hoped to come back to New England for his tenth season.
Signing Davis seemed to seal his fate and the latest news from NFL insider Jeremy Fowler proves that to be true. Jones has now signed a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders and will be leaving the Patriots after nine seasons and two Super Bowl wins.
Source: Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones to the #Commanders on a one-year deal.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 12, 2025
After nine years and 11 interceptions in New England, Jones heads to NFC East.
It's an understandable move, given the new regime's plan to build a young roster, primarily through the draft, but it's still a sad one for Patriots fans who have grown to really appreciate the kind of man and player Jones has been since he signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
The Patriots send a clear message by letting Jonathan Jones walk in free agency
With a new coaching staff and personnel, there is also an expectation that there will be plenty of roster turnover to watch out for. That was known with Mike Vrabel and Co. coming into Foxboro and it looks like Jones is one of the first big dominoes to fall because of it.
The other was nose tackle Davon Godchaux, who was traded to the Saints earlier this week, but had been a longtime solid addition to the defensive line since he joined the team in 2021.
These moves, coupled with the free agent signings the team has already made, prove the direction the new regime plans to take: They want to make an aggressive and young roster and are willing to move on from some of the older players, no matter how much they have contributed in the past.
It is a sign of the times changing, with Jones being one of the last players to have been part of a Tom Brady-led team and being a big part of winning Super Bowl LIII over the Rams to bring the sixth Lombardi Trophy to Foxboro. It's the end of an era, but Jones couldn't have gone to a better situation, as the Commanders made it to the NFC Championship last year.