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Patriots miss out on available offensive line help, with Josh Jones getting traded to Texans

Ezekiel Elliott on joining the Patriots, working with Bill Belichick
Ezekiel Elliott on joining the Patriots, working with Bill Belichick 00:48

BOSTON -- With the regular season just a couple of weeks away, it looks like the Patriots need some offensive line help. They won't be getting any from Josh Jones, though.

The fourth-year tackle -- who also has experience at both tackle spots as well as at guard -- was traded by the Cardinals to the Houston Texans on Thursday.

The trade cost the Texans just a fifth-round pick, while Arizona also included a seventh-rounder along with Jones.

Though no reports indicated the Patriots pursued Jones in a trade, the New England front office must have at least discussed the possibility of doing so, given the state of the offensive line.

Left tackle Trent Brown and center David Andrews appear to be on the only members of the presumed starting five who are ready to start the season where the team expected. Left guard Cole Strange suffered an injury early in training camp and has been a spectator ever since, while right guard Mike Onwenu just came off the PUP list on Wednesday. The team signed Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson to supplement Conor McDermott at right tackle. But Reiff has underperformed, leading to him sliding to guard, and Anderson has been on the non-football injury list since camp opened. McDermott, meanwhile, has gotten injured this summer as well.

The 26-year-old Jones has played 47 games since entering the league in 2020 at the 72nd overall pick out of the University of Houston. Yet instead of helping the Patriots in 2023, he's been acquired by former Patriots personnel director Nick Caserio in Houston.

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