Rookie QB Mac Jones was helping Cam Newton learn Patriots playbook?

It appears Mac Jones might have played a more significant role in Cam Newton's release from the New England Patriots than initially believed. 

According to former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich, Jones was helping Newton learn the New England offense. 

"From everything that I understand now, Mac was basically helping Cam learn the playbook," Ninkovich said on The Dan and Ninko podcast (h/t WEEI's Ryan Hannable). "So, imagine that. Learn that. Learn that right now. Absorb it. Learn it. Because Mac was having less M.E.'s — mental errors, that is what M.E. is in football, mental errors. He was having less mental errors in having a better understanding of the offense. We didn't see Cam run any two-minute. We didn't see him run any no-huddle. … You have to run no-huddle. That's vital."

If this is true, it's impressive that Jones, who has been with the franchise for just a few months, had a better understanding of the playbook than Newton. 

The Patriots released Newton last week, making Jones the starter. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels explained the decision in the days following, citing Jones's improvement throughout the summer and his command of the offense as reasons he felt comfortable naming the rookie QB1. 

Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne later added that Jones is "more ready" to be a starter at the NFL level "than anybody really knows."

The Alabama product had an impressive preseason with the Patriots, finishing 36-of-52 for 389 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones had the highest-graded preseason by a rookie quarterback since 2013.