I think Jones falls into the standout players part of this.
• “One is the guy they draft low or sign as unrestricted and let him go when he wants money,” the veteran agent says.
• “Then there’s the malcontent. Corey Dillon, Randy Moss. He might not have the right personality for the team, but he comes for a year or two at below-market value, produces, and then when he wants money you let him go.”
• “Or they find a guy like LeGarrette Blount, Chris Long. Guys near the end of their career who want to win and still have something to offer.”
The final and most exclusive group is made up of players whom the Patriots end up paying market value. They are the standout players -- Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Devin McCourty -- who are believed to buy into the so-called Patriot Way and are integral to the team’s success at the time of their re-signing. “You might get a good deal from them,” says one agent, “but it wont be because you’re a good agent. It will be because they like the guy.”