Cornerback Jack Jones wasn’t happy when the Patriots waived him early this week. He was very happy when the Raiders claimed him.
Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce coached Jones in high school at Long Beach Poly and in college at Arizona State.
“It stung for sure,” Jones said Wednesday after his first practice with the Raiders, via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “That was the team that drafted me. Your mindset is you’re going to spend the first four years there. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
“But this is a blessing. I’m not going to lie. I feel like everything happened for a reason, and I’m happy to be here, blessed to be here and ready to get to work.”
Jones, a fourth-round selection of New England in 2022, would not get into specifics of what led to his departure from the Patriots.
He totaled two interceptions, six passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last year. He appeared in four games for the Patriots this season, recording one pass defensed after starting the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
“I would say it just wasn’t the best fit,” Jones said. “I can’t speak too much about it because I’m not on the coaching staff. It just wasn’t the best fit.
“I still have some fire behind me. I kind of feel I have something to prove without going out of my way to try to prove it. I just want to show everybody I’m a good player and not someone you can just shoo away. I’m not saying that was the case with the Patriots. Whatever happened, it just didn’t work out. That’s why I ended up here. I just want to show everyone I’m a good player.”
