Getty Jerry Jones would be wise to fuel the Cowboys trade rumor mill for ex-Patriot CB Jack Jones.
It was a stunning collapse after a very good rookie season, and that’s exactly the fuel that’s fueling the Cowboys rumor mill, whose main target should be ex-Patriots cornerback Jack Jones. Dallas owner and GM Jerry Jones loves to revive (or at least try to revive) the careers of talented players who get into trouble, and Jack Jones is in trouble.
The Patriots cut Jones on Monday, and a New England reporter — Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald — cited a lack of professionalism as the reason. Jones was benched for the Week 9 game against Washington for missing curfew and was benched again Sunday against the Colts in Germany. He was seen sulking on the sidelines. According to Kyed, this led the Patriots to cut ties with Jones.
But rumor has it that the Cowboys team was looking for second help after Trevon Diggs’ injury, and Jones is a talented player. He was once ranked No. 16 in the nation when he graduated high school – rare for a cornerback – and is still only 25 years old.
Even without Diggs, Stephon Gilmore and DaRon Bland were very good, but the Cowboys lack depth. Jourdan Lewis has struggled as a third corner and has a Pro Football Focus grade of just 49.4 this season (96th out of 112 corners in the NFL).
Should Jerry Jones make a call?
This is where I should fuel the Cowboys rumor mill and show a lot of interest in free agent Jack Jones.
Jack Jones was drafted in the fourth round out of Arizona State in 2022 and likely would have gone higher if it weren’t for his past problems in college – he was found academically ineligible at USC and then kicked out of school , after he was arrested for breaking into a Panda Express in 2018. However, he revived his career at Arizona State.
The Patriots had him on the field for 13 games as a rookie last season and he looked like a steal. Jones recorded two interceptions, including a pick-6 against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 4. He had a 74.7 grade with Pro Football Focus, establishing himself as a premier cornerback for the future.
The Patriots entered the 2023 season expecting to have one of the better secondaries in the NFL, and Jones was a part of that.
But Jones was arrested in June at Boston’s Logan Airport with two loaded guns. Jones agreed to a plea deal in August when prosecutors agreed to drop the charges against Jones – nine in total – in exchange for Jones agreeing to a year of probation and 48 hours of community service. He never really seemed to recover from that incident.
Jack Jones is a perfect target for Cowboys rumors
The question about Jack Jones for the Cowboys is whether they can get him on the field and productive quickly enough to make a difference for the team this year.
Despite his solid numbers last year, Jones struggled all season, playing in just five games with 12 tackles and one pass defended. At PFF, his grade fell to 46.6 year-over-year.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke to Jones about the situation on Tuesday.
“Jack is a talented player,” he said. “He showed that when he played for us at times. In the end I felt like we just had to move on. But he is a talented player.”
Talented indeed. And a little worried. A perfect fit for the Cowboys.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter who covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has been writing for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of NBA reporting experience, including 17 years as a senior NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of seven nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley Were Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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