Sidney

Jones IV

Jones now joins his fourth team since 2020 after splitting 2022 between the Raiders and Seahawks. Jones spent the final seven weeks of last season with the Raiders, appearing on 64 defensive snaps while serving primarily as a backup. Now joining the Bengals, the former second-round pick will likely serve as added depth for their secondary heading into this season.

Jones was released with little fanfare earlier this week, but will catch on quickly with the Raiders. Jones was barely playing with the Seahawks this year, getting in just three games, but had a 69.2 PFF coverage rating in 2021 and could be a decent stopgap option for the Raiders secondary.

Seattle signed Jones to a one-year $3.6 million deal that included incentives up to a total of $4.4 million. Jones played in a career-high 16 games, rewarding the Seahawks for trading a sixth-round pick for him ahead of the 2021 season. Jones is a former second-round pick of the Eagles but was waived in 2020 after dealing with a slew of injuries. He graded 32nd in Pro Football Focus’ coverage grades among cornerbacks and should be a solid starter for the Seahawks once again in 2022.

Waived by the Eagles on the eve of last season, Jones made six starts for the Jags. He was re-signed by the new regime in March but didn’t show enough to keep his 53-man roster spot in Jacksonville. Although Jones is still only 25 years old, he has a lengthy injury history in addition to his performance issues. His career will be at a perilous point if he doesn’t stick in Seattle.

The former Eagles second round draft pick will return to Jacksonville in 2021. Jones, 24, recorded two interceptions for the Jags in nine games last season before tearing his Achilles tendon -- the same injury he suffered at his pro day in 2017. Pro Football Focus graded the Jaguars defense as the second worst coverage unit in the league in 2020.

The Jaguars’ secondary is one of the most beat up units in the league. With Greg Mabin and Josiah Scott expected to start in the secondary Sunday against Baltimore, Lamar Jackson’s matchup could hardly be better.

It’s another missing corner for Jacksonville, which will already be without Tre Herndon (COVID), D.J. Hayden, C.J. Henderson, and potentially Chris Claybrooks against Baltimore. With Greg Mabin and Josiah Scott expected to start in the secondary, odds are the Jaguars fail to put up in any amount of fight against Lamar Jackson and Co. Marquise Brown, Willie Snead, and Mark Andrews remain terrific options for it.

Jones hasn’t played since Week 10 and joins corners C.J. Henderson and D.J. Hayden on the sideline once again. With the Jaguars leading the NFL in cover 1 man defense, it’s a troubling sign for Jacksonville’s secondary against Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Jones should be viewed as week to week after going from limited to DNP after ramping up his practice workload this week.

The Jaguars are missing first-round CB C.J. Henderson, veteran slot CB D.J. Hayden, and Jones right now in addition to DE Josh Allen and other front-seven players. It’s poor luck for the tanking Jaguars. Jarvis Landry is in a good spot if the Browns decide to pass the ball more than 15-20 times on Sunday.

Jones was a second-round pick in 2017, but he didn’t pan out largely because of injuries. His performance declined to the point where he was a healthy scratch in games last season. The Eagles secondary was a problem in 2019, which explains the Darius Slay trade. Jones will get another shot elsewhere but needs to prove that he’s healthy. A team may actually claim Jones.