Mike Vrabel won’t overlook any way to make the New England Patriots more explosive on offense, even if it means taking a dynamic “weapon” away from where he does his best work.
Head coach Vrabel was talking about Marcus Jones, the versatile defensive back who doubles as a “natural” punt returner with a flair for the big play. Jones delivered his signature contribution to help shift momentum permanently in favor of the Patriots during the 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers in week 4.
Jones’ daring 87-yard return for a touchdown in the first quarter erased a 6-0 deficit and put the Pats ahead for good at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, September 28. Splash plays like that one are typical of Jones and why many would like to see the 26-year-old spend some time on offense.
He did it before Vrabel’s time in charge, but the latter was asked if he would reinstall a dual role for Jones. Vrabel replied, “We’d consider anything that would help us win and score points,” per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth.
When pressed further, Vrabel answered, “We consider everything. Again, we’ve got a lot of guys that are producing over there. We’ll see where that goes and how it translates,” per Patriots.com.
He’s staying non-committal, but Vrabel must surely be intrigued by the possibility of Jones, who incurred league punishment for some overzealous defensive work in Week 3, trying to score points on offense. Especially when the coach has his own decorated past as a two-way player.
Mike Vrabel Has Reference Point for Marcus Jones Change
Vrabel won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as an outside linebacker who also doubled up as a clutch tight end at the goal-line. He proved prolific by catching 10 touchdowns, per NFL Legacy.
Few people know the value of putting an unexpected player into a skill role as well as Vrabel, so he can envisage something special for Jones. The latter has proven his speed and effectiveness out of the backfield in the past.
Jones turned his first snap on offense into a catch and run covering 48 yards for a score against the Buffalo Bills in 2022. The play, illustrated by Next Gen Stats, showed how easily the Patriots can unleash Jones’ elite-level speed with a glorified long handoff.
A play like this is why Jones still has the itch to play on offense. He even texted then-coordinator Alex Van Pelt to make it happen last season.
What the text got Jones was the chance to run a reverse against the Los Angeles Rams.
More stuff of this type can increase the big-play potential of this season’s offense, even though Jones’ primary remit must remain on special teams.
Marcus Jones Still an Asset for Patriots
Jones is still doing his most spectacular work in football’s third phase. It’s where Vrabel believes the fourth-year pro “has to be a weapon,” because “It’s a lot of comfort with him back there, and we need to continue to make it a weapon.”
Vrabel doubling down on his commitment to Jones as a returner is justified by the way No. 25 bossed the Panthers’ special teams. Aside from his scoring runback, Jones also sped and weaved his way for a 61-yard return.
Keeping Jones where he does his best work will be a balancing act for Vrabel because the player has already talked up the chance to play in all three phases. He’s intrigued by the idea of splitting time between cornerback and wide receiver, just like 2025 NFL draft second-overall pick Travis Hunter does for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Patriots aren’t likely to put that much on Jones’ plate, but it only makes sense to sprinkle in some select usage on offense for their best natural athlete.