Belichick is Skipping the Senior Bowl but Patriots Scouts Met with Mac Jones Anyway. And Draft SZN is Officially Underway.

Butch Dill. Shutterstock Images.

The photo above is from this week last year. The two greatest football minds of this or any other generation. The two best friends that anyone could have. Down in Mobile. Talking prospects and programs and whether this flu bug that is going around in China is anything to get worked up about. 

Things are different this year. Senior Bowl practices are once again underway. Nick Saban is once again there, only this time as the reigning National Champion. He's just not joined by the one person who can speak to his level on football, science, philosophy, metaphysics or any other subject. Because Bill Belichick is off in parts unknown. And by that I mean I assume he's in that Parts Unknown that masked wrestlers used to hail from. No doubt personally scouting some as yet undiscovered superhuman athlete on a remote island he can bring in as a UDFA to turn the balance of power back in New England's favor next year. That's my assumption anyway. 

The fact is, thanks to that virus that wasn't getting much play at the 2020 bowl, the NFL teams have seriously cut back on their presence in Mobile. The league is allowing no more than 10 staff members per team. And aside from the staffs of the Dolphins and Panthers who are coaching the two teams, plus the Giants and Bengals, no other coaches are in attendance. 

Which is natural and understandable. Professional college scouts are on hand to professionally college scout. They submit reports. There will be thousands of hours of film made available. Something may be gained from actual coaches being there, but the necessity of it is questionable at best. 

Everywhere, that is, except New England. Here, Belichick's absence is a scandal. Bigger than anything involving Robinhood. As a matter of fact, it's being taken as proof that he's checked out mentally. If not flat out dropping his weapon and deserting his post in the middle of a battle. 

Which is beyond laughable because the last time I checked, all of the Patriots' failed draft picks were being blamed on GM Bill being too involved and overruling his college scouting staff. "Nick Caserio would've gotten away with drafting DK Metcalf if it weren't for that meddling Bill!" or words to that effect. Never let it be said there's an issue the Boston sports media can't manage to play both sides of. Moving on …

The biggest news so far is the Pats representatives in Mobile used up one of their limited prospect visits to sit down with a top half of Round 1 quarterback. As well as a likely Day 3 QB:

Source - Two of the top quarterbacks in the draft — Mac Jones of Alabama and Wake Forest’s Jamie Newman — confirmed Thursday they met with the Patriots while here for the Senior Bowl.

Jones, who led the Crimson Tide to the national championship earlier this month, said he met with New England’s scouts Wednesday night.

“I sat down at their table and we had a good conversation. We talked and they got to know me really well,” Jones said after the American team’s practice. “The Patriots were really cool and asked some really good questions.’'

The Patriots interest in Mac Jones might just be them doing their due diligence. Hell, last year Josh McDaniels took a meeting with Justin Herbert, who he had 00% chance of coaching unless he got a job with the Chargers. But them talking to Jones has the potential to go way beyond significant and straight into historic. 

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Going into Senior Week, Jones was projected not to last beyond the teens in the first round. Even with questions about his arm strength, suggestions that he was a product of Alabama's system and the talent around him, and his dad bod.

But so far, at the risk of making yet another Wall Street Bets metaphor, no one's stock has gone up more than Jones' in the first three days of practices. 

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You might think that there's not a lot that a guy needs to prove after throwing for 4,500 yards with 41 TDs and four INTs in 13 games. Especially when the last of those was treating the National Title game against Ohio State like a 7-on-7 drill, completing 36-for-45 for 464 yards and five TDs. But if there are still know-it-alls who consider Jones a slightly more talented AJ McCarron. So the best thing for him is to prove it in front of the scouts against the best competition in the country. As NFL.com points out, it's helped other QBs in similar situations:

The last three Senior Bowls have given NFL scouts a close look at five first-round quarterback selections, four of whom are current NFL starters: Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones, Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen. Green Bay Packers 2020 first-rounder Jordan Love remains a rookie reserve, and Eagles second-rounder Jalen Hurts was a participant in last year's Senior Bowl, as well.

There's a very good chance Mac Jones will still be available when New England is still on the board at 15. They shown at least some interest. And no one has more inside knowledge about the guy than his coach's football soul mate. 

For what it's worth, Mel Kiper praises Jones for his accuracy and compares him favorably to another former college prospect. “You think about Tom Brady and what he brought to the table in terms of his accuracy at all levels," he says. He was not mobile. Obviously, Mac is a great athlete. He’s got a little speed and quickness, but that’s Mac Jones.” And has him going to New England. (Cued up to the 2:22 mark):

You can certainly make the comparison in terms of their conditioning:

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So this is going to be the most fascinating possibility as we kick off 2021 NFL Draft Season. Stay tuned.