Matthew Judon is a believer in Mac Jones.
The New England Patriots linebacker has made that clear on multiple occasions after what was a down year for Jones and the entire Pats offense. Despite Jones' regression, Judon believes the young quarterback can regain his rookie season form and prove his critics wrong.
Judon shared his thoughts on Jones as a player and a leader in a new episode of the Next Pats Podcast with Phil Perry.
Next Pats Podcast: Matthew Judon says Mac Jones can be "dangerous" | Listen & Follow | Watch on YouTube
"Very good," Judon answered. " Very good, very dangerous, very poised, very cerebral. But I think he needs to get there. It's not going to be easy. We all know how this league is. If you don't do one thing that somebody think you should be doing, you start to hear rumors and you start to hear negative talk. And then if you continue to do that, then you start to believe it.
"I think what Mac has to do is he has to believe in who he is. He has to believe in his skill sets and his traits and he needs to get back to work. Not saying he hasn't been to work, but that's what the offseason is for, for him to improve. It's for all of us to improve and for all of us to get better. And when he comes back, he's going to be a better quarterback forward."
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Is Jones getting to the point where he's considered a leader in the Patriots locker room?
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"Yeah. And I think a lot of people don't understand the difference between a captain and a leader," Judon said. "I think for us, the captains was who we voted to talk for us, to speak for us, to have a voice for us. And then the leaders of the group was, you know, like (Devin McCourty) -- and I mean they also was kind of captains, but like Dev, (Ja'Whaun Bentley), Matt Slater. They were like, the true leaders and the catalysts for us. And (David Andrews). Those were the guys that when we all get into a huddle, we listen to them. When we all have success and somebody got to humble us, we're listening to them. When we're in a pit and we need somebody to speak to us, we listen to them. That's what the big difference was.
"But he is a guy that can be that. He's just like, he's very young. He's very young and he a little green behind the ears. And in some situations, in some places that he hasn't played in or a situation that he hasn't been in just from throughout his career. And that's not a fault to him, it's just because he hasn't played in this game long enough. But when he does, and when he handles those situations with grace -- how he handles most situations -- I think he's going to be a great leader."
Also in the new episode: Judon on the Patriots' offensive issues, hiring of Bill O'Brien. Malcolm Butler talks about his game-winning Super Bowl interception and his current relationship with Bill Belichick.
Check out the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch it on YouTube below: