Twitter: Cowboys expected to pick up 5th year option on Byron Jones

[buybuydandavis]

But, we became enamored with his jumping ability.

I saw! You said enameled before!

 

[SportsGuru80]

Good, you have to see what this young man can do CB (his natural position).

 

[guag]

Excellent move by the Boys. I wanted Dallas to draft Byron prior to his selection and have been ecstatic with his level of play. I see him taking the next step in his career and making the pro-bowl. I love his ability to match-up with TEs or WRs and his ability to play FS.

Congrats to Byron.

to CowboysZone, Mrs. Jones!

 

[cern]

I saw! You said enameled before!

Lol

 

[OmerV]

Naw he got screwed. He was drafted as a corner and was asked to make a position switch after his rookie year...he couldn't play it well enough and and now his rep is he can't play.

First, a player is drafted to play for a team, not to play exclusively at one position. There is no guarantee or promise on how a player will be used, or even if he will get playing time at all. For that matter, there isn't even a guarantee he will make the team, although obviously a 1st rounder will make the team barring some extraordinary circumstance.

Second, he actually made the position change during his rookie season, not after it.

Third, as I recall, from the time they drafted Jones the Cowboys said he could play both positions and they weren't yet sure which he would end up settling into.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Seems that is is all official now

 

[ondaedg]

Mediocrity pays.

Is he even mediocre? He is a massive liability against the run and has the lowest interception rate among all DBs in the last 5 years. His 2 career interceptions came on an end of half hail Mary and a tipped ball. Mediocre would be a compliment.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

First, a player is drafted to play for a team, not to play exclusively at one position. There is no guarantee or promise on how a player will be used, or even if he will get playing time at all. For that matter, there isn't even a guarantee he will make the team, although obviously a 1st rounder will make the team barring some extraordinary circumstance.

Second, he actually made the position change during his rookie season, not after it.

Third, as I recall, from the time they drafted Jones the Cowboys said he could play both positions and they weren't yet sure which he would end up settling into.

Huh? So you are telling me if we drafted Zeke and told him to play wide receiver and he failed.....that wouldn't be expected? A player is drafted based on the position he plays. Cowboys were desperate because they lacked a free safety so they put Byron over there because of his vertical and size. But vertical and size doesn't equate to being a safaety in this league.


Jones started the final ten games of the season, with three starts at safety and four at cornerback and nickelback.
Jones entered training camp as the favorite to start at free safety and competed with J.J. Wilcox.[27] Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli opted to named Jones as the starting free safety to start the regular season, alongside strong safety Barry Church.

You aren't remembering this well. He played safety but he wasn't named the safety until his sophomore year after his rookie season where he showed solid coverage skills for a rookie. Byron was a corner when they drafted him and everyone that saw him play knew he was a corner. Safety was a stretch and a hope. He got screwed over just like Collins is being asked to play another position instead of his dominant one.

 

[9darter]

Too expensive for a back up. At best he's #4 at CB.

 

[gimmesix]

Seems to me that if he shows well at corner over the next two seasons, this will just provide impetus to redo his deal.

 

[OmerV]

Huh? So you are telling me if we drafted Zeke and told him to play wide receiver and he failed.....that wouldn't be expected? A player is drafted based on the position he plays. Cowboys were desperate because they lacked a free safety so they put Byron over there because of his vertical and size. But vertical and size doesn't equate to being a safaety in this league.


Jones started the final ten games of the season, with three starts at safety and four at cornerback and nickelback.
Jones entered training camp as the favorite to start at free safety and competed with J.J. Wilcox.[27] Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli opted to named Jones as the starting free safety to start the regular season, alongside strong safety Barry Church.

You aren't remembering this well. He played safety but he wasn't named the safety until his sophomore year after his rookie season where he showed solid coverage skills for a rookie. Byron was a corner when they drafted him and everyone that saw him play knew he was a corner. Safety was a stretch and a hope. He got screwed over just like Collins is being asked to play another position instead of his dominant one.

lol - you aren't comparing apples to apples. Safety and CB are both DB's, and Jones had a history with both positions. This is more akin to Martin playing OG even though he was playing OT at Notre Dame.

And, by the way, not everyone thought he was a CB. Many thought his better position would be at safety, and you still can't even get a consensus today that he will prove to be better at CB than he was at safety. Ultimately, what the fans think as they sit in front of a computer or TV screen doesn't matter anyway. The team has to access players as well as team needs.

 

[DiResta]

Seems to me that if he shows well at corner over the next two seasons, this will just provide impetus to redo his deal.

its a contract year plus moving to his natural position he might surprise some people
otoh this draft is deep at corner talent

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

lol - you aren't comparing apples to apples. Safety and CB are both DB's, and Jones had a history with both positions. This is more akin to Martin playing OG even though he was playing OT at Notre Dame.

And, by the way, not everyone thought he was a CB. Many thought his better position would be at safety, and you still can't even get a consensus today that he will prove to be better at CB than he was at safety. Ultimately, what the fans think as they sit in front of a computer or TV screen doesn't matter anyway. The team has to access players as well as team needs.

Safety and corner isn't' apples to apples though. They are both listed as "DBs" but by no means are they the same position. There are players who play tight end in this league who have a history playing linebacker but you wouldn't THINK of playing them there. And what fans think doesn't matter but when it comes to getting paid? You are paid based on your perception. You make pro bowls based on your perception. Byron Jones got screwed. He's taking it on as a professional. He's a good guy. I'm rooting for him. But he's wasted 3 years playing a position he should've NEVER been playing.

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

Is he even mediocre? He is a massive liability against the run and has the lowest interception rate among all DBs in the last 5 years. His 2 career interceptions came on an end of half hail Mary and a tipped ball. Mediocre would be a compliment.

He was a top 3 rookie in 2015, then was well above average his sophomore season. He regressed last season, but he's easily been mediocre or much better at all times.

 

[dstew60105]

The Cowboys are changing Byron Jones‘ position this year and it looks like they hope to have him at cornerback for at least the next two seasons. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Cowboys are expected to exercise their option on Jones’ contract for the 2019 season. Teams must decide on the fifth-year [more]

Continue reading...

Basically just retaining his rights. Can still cut him prior to the start of the new league year in 2019.

 

[OmerV]

Safety and corner isn't' apples to apples though. They are both listed as "DBs" but by no means are they the same position. There are players who play tight end in this league who have a history playing linebacker but you wouldn't THINK of playing them there. And what fans think doesn't matter but when it comes to getting paid? You are paid based on your perception. You make pro bowls based on your perception. Byron Jones got screwed. He's taking it on as a professional. He's a good guy. I'm rooting for him. But he's wasted 3 years playing a position he should've NEVER been playing.

Of course CB and safety aren't identical, but there is a lot of overlap and similarity in duties, body types and skill sets.

And it's not uncommon for players to have experience playing both CB and safety, even at very high levels of football. Micah Hyde had 5 INTs and made the Pro Bowl last year as a strong safety after spending his first few years as a CB and then a FS. Jordan Poyer had 5 INTs as a FS last year after playing his entire college career at CB. This isn't unheard of stuff.

TE and LB ... really? That's the analogy you have? Offense to defense .... pass receiver/blocker to pass defender/blocker shedder? I'm talking about a Granny Smith apples to red apples difference and you are talking about an apples to tuna fish difference and acting like I'm saying the same thing.

Again, Jones playing safety is more like Martin playing OG when he was an OT in college. Not identical positions, but overlaps and similarities and it's not uncommon to see players shift.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Of course CB and safety aren't identical, but there is a lot of overlap and similarity in duties, body types and skill sets.

And it's not uncommon for players to have experience playing both CB and safety, even at very high levels of football. Micah Hyde had 5 INTs and made the Pro Bowl last year as a strong safety after spending his first few years as a CB and then a FS. Jordan Poyer had 5 INTs as a FS last year after playing his entire college career at CB. This isn't unheard of stuff.

TE and LB ... really? That's the analogy you have? Offense to defense .... pass receiver/blocker to pass defender/blocker shedder? I'm talking about a Granny Smith apples to red apples difference and you are talking about an apples to tuna fish difference and acting like I'm saying the same thing.

Again, Jones playing safety is more like Martin playing OG when he was an OT in college. Not identical positions, but overlaps and similarities and it's not uncommon to see players shift.

And you don't see a problem with putting Zach Martin at OT as opposed to leaving him as guard?

 

[OmerV]

And you don't see a problem with putting Zach Martin at OT as opposed to leaving him as guard?

You a missing the point. Or trying to avoid it. The point is that he was at a position and had a skill set where it was reasonable for a team to move him within the O-Line rather than say he had to stick with the position he played in college. The same applies to Jones and the defensive backfield. You are suggesting that because Jones played CB the last 2 years of his college career he could only be drafted as a CB, and could only be reasonably used as a CB in the NFL. Hell, you are acting as if the Cowboys were somehow obligated to use him as a CB. That's not reality. For Jones or Martin. Or any number of other players.

 

[Hennessy_King]

He was a top 3 rookie in 2015, then was well above average his sophomore season. He regressed last season, but he's easily been mediocre or much better at all times.

Lol you say the same thing every off season about this dude. You pounded the table for him last offseason. Saying he will breakout last year. Face the facts he was a bad draft pick and we need to move on after the 5th year. I think picking up the 5th year was a good move so you have depth and it's not so expensive. Do I think he should be offered a second contract. Absolutely not. We need to try and upgrade "average".

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

Lol you say the same thing every off season about this dude. You pounded the table for him last offseason. Saying he will breakout last year. Face the facts he was a bad draft pick and we need to move on after the 5th year. I think picking up the 5th year was a good move so you have depth and it's not so expensive. Do I think he should be offered a second contract. Absolutely not. We need to try and upgrade "average".

And I was right his sophomore season, then last year he disappointed like I said in my original post.

Well if you think he's worth $6.5M, then you agree he's a pretty solid player. We'll see how this season plays out. I agree we need to upgrade from average, which Byron was last season, but average is a large downgrade from his rookie and 2nd season