Patriots News: Carl Davis, J.C. Jackson, Mac Jones, and Jonathan Kraft

It's another day in the world of the New England Patriots, and there's plenty of news to catch up with, including the latest players in for a tryout, Mac Jones' attitude after the team's latest loss, and Bill Belichick's reaction to the words of Jonathan Kraft.

Patriots work out two defensive linemen, including a familiar name

Now that the NFL trade deadline has come and gone, any player the Patriots may want to sign must be a free agent. Because they've dealt with so many injuries to pivotal players this season, two defensive linemen were brought in for workouts on Monday, including familiar friend Carl Davis.

The nose tackle has spent the last three seasons in Foxboro and looked like he would remain on the team for the 2023 season as well. That's why it was shocking to hear of his release during roster cutdowns in August, which led him to sign with the Seahawks practice squad a few weeks later to start the season.

He was cut by Seattle on October 31st, making him a free agent once again, and that paved the way for him to return to New England once again.

Besides the report of Davis and Daviuon Nixon coming in for a tryout on Monday, no updates were provided regarding how the practice went or if either was likely to be signed with the team.

The defensive line seems to be one of the better parts of the team depth-wise, led by Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Christian Barmore, Deatrich Wise, and Keion White. But given how poorly the season is going and Matthew Judon remaining out, it couldn't hurt to bring in a veteran like Davis to see what he can add to the team moving forward.

Details emerge regarding why Jack Jones and J.C. Jackson were seemingly benched in Week 9

When the Commanders were shown to be on the Patriots' schedule this year, most circled it as an easy win. That feeling increased even more in the week leading up to the game after Washington traded away their best defensive players on the day of the trade deadline, a significant help for the New England offense.

Unfortunately, it wound up being a non-factor since the same problems the team has had all season plagued them throughout the 60 minutes of game time, resulting in a 20-17 loss to a team that looks to be tanking.

Other than the typical dialogue surrounding the game in its entirety, one odd decision made by Bill Belichick has gained traction since the start of Sunday's game, mainly because it felt like another Super Bowl 52, Malcolm Butler situation all over again, minus the much greater meaning behind the game, of course.

Why were J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones benched to start the game?

Belichick was asked that very question in his post-game press conference, but he denied either player was punished for anything or that the decision was beyond his typical decision-making. But Jeff Howe from The Athletic did a little digging and revealed what he was told by sources, the real reason behind the cornerback's apparent benching.

According to those sources, Jackson and Jones started the game on the bench due to performance issues. No other details were provided, like what those issues were or if there was anything more to the situation.

Things didn't seem too peachy after the game, though, as Jackson declined to speak to reporters, and Jones left the building shortly after the game finished; it seems like a clear indication that there's more to the story than what is being shared right now.

Mac Jones' attitude proves the team is still fighting despite losing record

There are a lot of theories out there claiming to know what is going on behind the scenes at Gillette Stadium, particularly when it comes to the attitude and morale of the team.

Because the Patriots find themselves in an unfamiliar predicament with a 2-7 record, the assumption has been that the locker room is crumbling, even more so when it comes to how the players feel about Bill Belichick.

The problem with that theory is the amount of players claiming otherwise. Other than the obvious quietness that any locker room would have when they lose devastatingly or embarrassingly, players like Hunter Henry, Mac Jones, and Matthew Slater have all said the team remains close and ready to work, something that many fans and media members seem unable to accept as truth.

It's understandable to a degree why it would be hard to believe a team in the Patriots' situation could be anything but miserable. However, it's clear the 2023 team is a close-knit group that supports one another and tries to uplift those around them.

So hearing Jones say that all the hardships they've gone through this season are being taken as learning experiences and the will to keep fighting is still very much alive in the locker room.

"It’s a learning experience for everybody. (I) haven’t been here before, and a lot of guys haven’t. At the same time, you’ve got to realize that you’re playing a game that you love. You gotta go out and compete and find ways to win, regardless of your circumstance. There’s no excuses.

It’s hard, right? That’s kind of what we’re here for. I think it’s hard. It’s easy when you’re winning and everything is great and everything is going your way, right? When it’s hard, what are you going to do. For me, I just know that I have to keep fighting. I know a lot of guys on our team will do the same thing."

Considering Jones is one of the most scrutinized players on the team if he can have this mentality with all of the unfavorable things being said about him, it's hard to believe that his teammates aren't feeling the same way.

It's a good mindset to have as they stare down the barrel of an inevitable losing season, one that could have significant ramifications at any point over the next nine weeks.

Bill Belichick remains tight-lipped about viral video of Jonathan and Robert Kraft

Among the many things being discussed as a result of the Patriots' heartbreaking loss to the Commanders on Sunday has surrounded a viral video of Jonathan and Robert Kraft as they sit in their suite watching the game.

Based on the many clips floating around from the moment and people who believe they are expert lip readers, Jonathan says, "We're not good enough," with the belief he was referring to the current struggling Patriots team.

Because we'll never really know what he said or what he was referring to when he said it, most are jumping on the bandwagon to believe the absolute worst-case scenario.

That inevitably led to Bill Belichick being asked to comment on the now infamous video during his weekly appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" on Monday.

In true form, the head coach didn't have much to say about the clip, telling those curious to take their questions directly to the source and ask Jonathan himself.

"Yeah, you’d have to ask them about what they said. I don’t know. We didn’t do enough yesterday."

This is an unsurprising answer, to say the least, but one that will continue the conversation and heighten the debate about Belichick's job security as the Patriots head coach. If the Krafts are really that unhappy about the state of the team, which is valid, they may make a move sooner than anticipated; watching that unfold adds an unexpected yet intriguing layer to the 2023 season for New England.

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