Mac Jones is happier in this year’s training camp. It is abundantly obvious when you talk to him. Jones met with the media after yesterday’s practice and the vibe was different. He is having at practice, he is interacting with his teammates, coaches and the fans more and more importantly, his body language and demeanor are better.

Jones was asked if he is having more fun in this year’s camp as opposed to last year’s training camp.

“I think it’s fun. That’s one of the things this offseason that I put a lot of thought into, is just enjoying the game and especially practice, right? It’s practice. It’s good to have fun, but at the end of the day we’re out here working. Putting in the work is the most important part, but we’ve got to have that juice every day. I feel like it comes from the leader and the leaders of the team, so you just have to go out there and have fun.”

Jones is definitely working as he has had two of his best days of camp the past two days. He looks poised, confident and he is getting the ball out on time. His mechanics are clean and you can tell he has put in the work his receivers. They are on the same page particularly free agent addition Ju-Ju Smith Schuster who Jones credits with being a leader and a hard worker.

“Yeah, I think JuJu has done a great job being a great leader, already, on our team. I like to talk about the older guys a lot because they’ve seen a lot of football, so they know how an installation is supposed to look. You put the play in, you watch it on film – maybe it’s another team, or something in the past or something from college – and you’ve got to go out there and execute it, so I think that’s just football 101. It’s learning in the classroom and trying to apply it on the field. Every day, the goal is to be a little bit better and not make the same mistake twice.”

Things have been going well for Jones recently so naturally he had to be asked if he is competing with Bailey Zappe for the starting job. Jones handled the question like a pro. His body language was good and he didn’t seem annoyed by it. Jones gave an honest answer about competing with Zappe at practice.

“Yeah, I think every year you have to have the mindset that you’re competing, not only against yourself, you’re competing against the teams you’re about to play, which is really important for me. Understanding that it’s the NFL, and every week you’re going to go against a great quarterback. So, that’s my biggest concern and just trying to lead the team every day and bring everybody along. You know, I’ve been fortunate to be in a lot of quarterback rooms that are really good. So, just trying to learn from everybody, obviously learn from Coach [Bill] O’ Brien, and Evan [Rothstein] and Coach Belichick. At the end of the day, it’s all about improving each day. When you go out there on Sunday, you want your guys to be confident in you, and that’s what I’m trying to instill in them right now.”

Mac is in the right frame of mind and that is a good thing for him and the Patriots. If he can stay in this state of mind, even when things are bad, he will continue to grow, develop and meet his full potential. He has everything he needs to be successful in New England. It is all about regaining his confidence and if he does, the Patriots will be a dangerous team.