The Miami Dolphins were getting closer and closer to being up some creek without a paddle. The team entered training camp with an already light cornerback room, and on day two it was announced that veteran cornerback Artie Burns would miss the entire season with an ACL tear. Now it has been announced early Saturday morning that the team would be signing explosive cornerback Jack Jones to a one year deal.
The details of the contract have not yet emerged, but we know that it most likely has to be a veteran minimum deal thanks to the less than precarious cap situation the Phins find themselves in.
Miami has the second lowest remaining cap space in the league. The only team in the NFL with less money than Miami is the division rival Buffalo Bills. The Bills are actually one million dollars OVER the cap and are the only team in the red.
Jack Jones Was The Best Possible Choice
As previously stated, the Phins had next to no options. I wrote in a story on Sunday that “the hay is in the barn” when it comes to this secondary. I speculated whether the remaining one million dollars should be spent on a new corner or saved in case someone went down with an injury during the season.
Well I guess we got both.
I wrote the article before the Burns injury changed everything. Burns was going to be the fourth corner in a three-corner rotation, fighting for a starting role in camp. Jack Jones can slide into this position effortlessly and I think he could strengthen everyone around him.
In the same article, I called for the signing of Jones, saying “although it does not fix the young room, adding an explosive player like Jack Jones or Caleb Farley could certainly create some real competition in the secondary.”
Jones is a 5’11” rangy corner who has a knack for scoring touchdowns. So far in his four years in the NFL, the 27-year-old pass defender has found the end zone on an impressive four seperate occasions. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio is excited about what he may bring to the table.
“Jones had 69 tackles, three interceptions, and an interception return for a touchdown in those 17 appearances, but he was released after the regime change for the Raiders this offseason,” Florio writes. “Given the inexperienced corners already on the Dolphins roster, he should have a shot at a starting role in Miami this year as well.”
Jones’ Trouble With The Law
Jack Jones was a fan favorite for the New England Patriots where he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He recorded two picks and a touchdown as a rookie. But in his second season with the team, the corner started making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
It started in June of the 2023 preseason, when Jones was arrested at Boston’s Logan Airport after trying to bring a handgun through TSA.
“Jones had been arrested June 16 after authorities at Boston’s Logan Airport said they found a Glock box with two guns and ammunition inside a bag with Jones’ name on it,” reads a report published at the time. “He was charged with two counts each of unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a large capacity feeding device and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card. He also was charged with two counts of an airport security violation, possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of the airport.”
The gun was purchased and registered legally and eventually, after months of deliberation in the Boston media, the charges were dropped and he was given probation.
Then, just a few weeks later, Jones was released by coach Bill Belichick after missing curfew on a road trip. The Raiders claimed him off of waivers and he has had no public incidents since.
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