Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots placed second-year cornerback Jack Jones on injured reserve Saturday, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season.
Jones, who had gun charges against him dropped on Tuesday, has an injured hamstring, according to the team.
The Patriots open the season Sunday against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) and likely would have been relying on Jones as a reserve. Jones played in 13 games last season (two starts), totaling 38% of the defensive snaps.
First-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez and eight-year veteran Jonathan Jones project as the starting cornerbacks, with Marcus Jones (second year), Myles Bryant (fourth year) and Shaun Wade (third year) next on the depth chart.
Eight-year veteran Jalen Mills, who started 10 games at cornerback last season in New England, has been working more at safety this year but could always move back if needed.
As it related to Jack Jones having gun charges dropped on Tuesday, coach Bill Belichick had expected Jones to be available for Sunday’s opener. But Jones apparently injured the hamstring at Wednesday’s practice, limiting his participation, and he hasn’t practiced since.
Belichick said Friday that Jones was undergoing “follow-up tests” to determine the severity of the injury.
The Patriots also signed veteran running back Ty Montgomery to the 53-man roster on Saturday and elevated linebacker Calvin Munson from the practice squad for the opener. Montgomery gives the team a third option at running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott.
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