The Raiders claimed former Patriots cornerback Jack Jones off waivers earlier this week, setting up a reunion between Jones and Las Vegas interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
Pierce coached Jones in high school in Southern California and then coached him again in college at Arizona State.
Pierce said on Wednesday that Jones can provide depth and competition within the secondary.
“A guy that can make plays on the ball,” Pierce said in his press conference. “If there are players out there that can help our team overall, we’ll pick them up regardless of where they’re from.”
As for the familiarity, Pierce joked that Jones has gained around 50 pounds since he first met him, but Jones still “ain’t got much weight.”
“But listen, maturity, the kid’s been through a lot. I’ve known him since he was very young, obviously, [that’s] been documented. I’ve seen the growth of development,” Pierce said. “Nobody’s perfect, I don’t expect him to be perfect. That’s my job as well, to bring him along and our staff and our organization to help him if he needs be. But the football player is extremely gifted, and I expect him to [be] such when he gets here.”
A fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, Jones recorded two interceptions, six passes defensed, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery last year. He appeared in five games this season, recording one pass defensed for the Patriots.
