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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones, who pleaded not guilty to gun charges stemming from a June arrest at Boston’s Logan Airport, is set to practice with the team at the start of training camp.
“Jack will be out there,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday, the day most veteran players report for camp. “It’s a legal situation that I can’t comment on that is ongoing.”
The Patriots’ first practice is scheduled for Wednesday.
Asked if he plans to stand by Jones, Belichick said: “Can’t talk about it. It’s a legal process.”
Jones, who enters his second season with the Patriots and is expected to compete for a starting role, is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 18 for a probable-cause hearing. That is the day before the Patriots’ preseason road game against the Green Bay Packers.
Prosecutors said that on June 16, authorities at Logan Airport found a Glock box with two guns and ammunition inside a bag with Jones’ name on it.
Jones, 25, was charged with two counts of the following offenses: possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of the airport, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a large-capacity feeding device.
Two of the counts against Jones carry mandatory minimum prison sentences of 2½ years if he is indicted and then convicted. Two other counts carry mandatory minimum sentences of 18 months if he is indicted and later convicted.
Jones’ attorney, Rosemary Scapicchio, told reporters after Jones’ arraignment June 20 that the cornerback “had no intention of bringing any guns into Logan Airport that day.”
Jones appeared in 13 games last season, with two starts, and finished with 30 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. One interception was a pick-six of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
His role was primed to potentially increase in 2023, with one of last year’s starting cornerbacks, Jalen Mills, possibly moving to safety.
In addition to Jones’ participation at training camp, Belichick updated the status of other key players.
Veteran offensive tackle Trent Brown, who did not report for the first day of June’s mandatory minicamp and then participated sparingly on the second day, has been at the team facility the past four days. Belichick said Brown “looks ready to go.”
Belichick said veteran receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had not practiced in the spring as he came back from a knee injury, also has been cleared to participate.
Second-year receiver Tyquan Thornton, who missed half of spring practices because of a soft-tissue injury, also has been at the facility and is ready to practice, according to Belichick.
Veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy Sr., who did not report to minicamp for what was believed to be a contract-related issue, has reported for training camp, according to a source.
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