Bill Belichick updates statuses of Jack Jones, Lawrence Guy
On Tuesday morning, Patriots veterans report to Gillette Stadium ahead of the team’s first training camp practice on Wednesday. This can be a good chance to get an update on players whose statuses might be up in the air.
There are multiple starters on the Patriots’ defense who fit that description. The Friday after spring practices concluded, cornerback Jack Jones was arrested at Logan Airport on gun charges, with his case still pending. He’ll have his first court date related to the charges next month. There had been not updates from the team on his status since.
Prior to players reporting on Tuesday morning, head coach Bill Belichick was asked about Jones’ standing with the team – his first time being asked about the incident since it happened.
Bill Belichick expects Jack Jones to be on the field when Training Camp officially begins on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/rtAj1bKs46
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) July 25, 2023
“Jack will be out there,” Belichick replied when asked if the team plans to ‘stand behind him’ after the charges. “Legal situation that I can’t comment on – that’s ongoing.”
Belichick answered all follow-up questions by saying he couldn’t answer due to the legal process. But that first part is key – it looks like Jones will remain with the team as the process unfolds in the coming months.
The other player in the spotlight on report day is defensive lineman Lawrence Guy. Guy didn’t take part in the Patriots’ spring practices due to a contract holdout.
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Belichick was asked if he expects Guy to report to camp following the holdout. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said. As for the situation that led to Guy holding out, asked if it was resolved Belichick responded, “I hope so. We’ll see.”
The Patriots don’t have to officially report which players do and don’t report for training camp on time. So pending an external report on the matter, the next update on Guy should come on Wednesday morning, when we’ll see whether or not he’s on the field for the team’s first practice of the year.
Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].
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Patriots fill final roster spot, sign wide receiver
Aug 10, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jalen Hurd (17) celebrates after a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium. (Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports)
The injuries were just too much for Kyle Shanahan’s club to overlook when it came to keeping Hurd around.
“We realized he wasn’t going to come back this year,” Shanahan said following the team’s decision to move on from Hurd after three injury-shortened campaigns. “We were giving it as much time as we could. We all felt very strongly that if he could come back, how much he could have helped us. But for the third year in a row, just with his [bad luck] with these injuries, how it was healing, we knew it wasn’t going to be this year. Just going into a fourth year in a row of it would just be too much of a risk for our organization, so we had to move on.”
Hurd’s exit from S.F. came without the Tennessee-born wideout ever logging a regular-season snap with the club.
With that being the case, all of Hurd’s NFL experience has come in training camps and during preseason play.
On the field for two games during the 2019 preseason, Hurd hauled in three catches for 31 yards and two touchdowns.
Jalen Hurd is 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds. Good luck with that. His second touchdown of the night. #49ers
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) August 11, 2019
(🎥: @nflnetwork)
pic.twitter.com/yNS1D2c216And in 2021, Hurd found himself in action for one preseason tilt, and hauled in four catches for 25 yards.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA — 49ers wide receiver Jalen Hurd runs with the ball at Levi’s Stadium on August 10, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Credit: USA TODAY Sports)
In New England, Hurd will join a wide receiver room that’s simply loaded with bodies, and with a massive logjam at the bottom of the roster in search of that final spot on the team’s depth chart.
With the Patriots’ wideout group headlined by free-agent addition JuJu Smith-Schuster and the recently-extended DeVante Parker, along with second-year pro Tyquan Thornton, Hurd’s competition will come with fellow fringe options towards the bottom of the roster. That group includes Kayshon Boutte, Tre Nixon, Demario Douglas, Raleigh Webb, Ed Lee, and Malik Cunningham.
LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 24: Wide receiver Jalen Hurd #5 of the Baylor Bears tries to get past defensive back Jah’Shawn Johnson #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the game on November 24, 2018 at AT&T Stadium. (John Weast/Getty Images)
And while Hurd’s NFL sample is both nonexistent and extremely limited, there is hope for him at the wideout position, at leased based on his collegiate career, which included a strong finish at Baylor University.
In action for 12 games, and after sitting out the 2017 season after transferring from Tennessee to Baylor, Hurd totaled 69 catches and 946 receiving yards, along with four touchdowns, for the Bears.
BRISTOL, TN – SEPTEMBER 10: in the first half at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 10, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. Virginia Tech defeated Tennessee 21-7. (Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)
And because you know the Patriots love themselves some versatility, it’s also worth mentioning that Hurd began his collegiate career as a running back, and listed as such during his first three years at the University of Tennessee.
As a running back, Hurd’s best year came back in 2015, with 1,285 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 277 carries over a 13-game run with the Vols. Overall, Hurd totaled 2,844 rushing yards on 637 carries (4.5 yards per carry), along with 23 touchdowns, in 45 games between Tennessee and Baylor.
