NewsBot
New Member
- Messages
- 111,281
- Reaction score
- 2,947
Green Bay Packers safety Josh Jones is looking for a new home in 2019. According to ESPN, the third-year man is skipping the team’s organized team activities looking to force a trade out of Titletown. Anytime a safety become available, be it by trade or free agency, the Dallas Cowboys are going to sit atop the list of potential suitors.
In the media, Dallas always seems to sit atop these lists, but that sentiment seems to fit very well in this case. In this case a former second-round draft pick who is oozing untapped potential at a position of need and has a penchant for popping receivers is the target.
The fist question is where Jones would fit in the Cowboys lineup.
The Cowboys have their man at free safety, where Xavier Woods has cemented himself as a starter going into the 2019 season. But while Woods is blossoming into a next-level player at free safety, the strong safety position has been a bit stagnant over the last few years. Kavon Frazier and Jeff Heath have played their roles admirably, but each has a ceiling, and that ceiling is about 10 stories lower than Jones’.
Stephen Jones, Will McClay and company have made it clear the Dallas front office values their draft capital, and that they will only pony up under a perfect storm scenario.
It takes a combination of player age, ability, and a stomichable contract for them to make a move, a-la Amari Cooper in 2018. Taking a look at the numbers, Josh Jones situation begins to strongly resemble Cooper’s before the Cowboys traded their 2019 first round pick for him. At just 24 years old, Jones will be entering his third year in the NFL in 2019 having never missed a game. Amari Cooper was (and is) 24 when the Cowboys traded for him. Just like Cooper, Jones was a high draft pick (61st overall) and has become experienced in the NFL while still being relatively young. Perhaps most importantly, just like Cooper, Jones is cheap. He’s halfway through his initial four-year rookie deal, with a cap hit for 2019 is just $1.1 million, $1.3 million in 2020.
That sounds like a Stephen Jones special right there.
With the business side of things making sense for Dallas, where does Green Bay stand? Jones finds himself in an awkward position with the Packers. He was selected by the prior front office regime and new Packers GM Brian Gutenkunst hasn’t held back on acquiring other safeties this offseason. The Packers signed Adrian Amos to a four-year, $36 million deal in free agency, and then went ahead and selected safety Darnell Savage Jr with the 21st pick in the 2019 draft. With the new safeties in town, and with Jones failing to maximize his potential on the field, he finds himself expendable in Green Bay.
While the business boxes need to be checked, the linchpin in a potential trade for Jones isn’t his contract, it isn’t his age or experience, it’s whether or not Cowboys’ defensive back guru Kris Richard wants him.
Richard prefers his defensive backs to be 6-foot-2 or taller, Jones comes in at 6-foot-1. Richard prefers his DBs to have at least 32-inch arms. Jones has 32-inch arms.
Richard has made a living getting the very best out of the defensive backs he’s coached, from the Legion of Boom in Seattle, to his new set of pupils in Dallas. Jones fits the mold that Richard usually goes after; size, versatility and unabashed physicality. Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network broke down exactly what made Jones such an intriguing prospect coming into the NFL just two years ago.
What it all comes down to: can Richard coach him up? If Richard can work his magic, and the track record says he can…and if the front office is willing to give up a mid-to-late round draft pick, taking a gamble on Josh Jones might just pay off for the Cowboys’ secondary in 2019.
You can follow Burke at @BurkeDowner.
Gallery
8 Cowboys recovering from surgeries as OTAs start, 14 who benefit
Continue reading...
In the media, Dallas always seems to sit atop these lists, but that sentiment seems to fit very well in this case. In this case a former second-round draft pick who is oozing untapped potential at a position of need and has a penchant for popping receivers is the target.
The fist question is where Jones would fit in the Cowboys lineup.
The Cowboys have their man at free safety, where Xavier Woods has cemented himself as a starter going into the 2019 season. But while Woods is blossoming into a next-level player at free safety, the strong safety position has been a bit stagnant over the last few years. Kavon Frazier and Jeff Heath have played their roles admirably, but each has a ceiling, and that ceiling is about 10 stories lower than Jones’.
Stephen Jones, Will McClay and company have made it clear the Dallas front office values their draft capital, and that they will only pony up under a perfect storm scenario.
It takes a combination of player age, ability, and a stomichable contract for them to make a move, a-la Amari Cooper in 2018. Taking a look at the numbers, Josh Jones situation begins to strongly resemble Cooper’s before the Cowboys traded their 2019 first round pick for him. At just 24 years old, Jones will be entering his third year in the NFL in 2019 having never missed a game. Amari Cooper was (and is) 24 when the Cowboys traded for him. Just like Cooper, Jones was a high draft pick (61st overall) and has become experienced in the NFL while still being relatively young. Perhaps most importantly, just like Cooper, Jones is cheap. He’s halfway through his initial four-year rookie deal, with a cap hit for 2019 is just $1.1 million, $1.3 million in 2020.
That sounds like a Stephen Jones special right there.
With the business side of things making sense for Dallas, where does Green Bay stand? Jones finds himself in an awkward position with the Packers. He was selected by the prior front office regime and new Packers GM Brian Gutenkunst hasn’t held back on acquiring other safeties this offseason. The Packers signed Adrian Amos to a four-year, $36 million deal in free agency, and then went ahead and selected safety Darnell Savage Jr with the 21st pick in the 2019 draft. With the new safeties in town, and with Jones failing to maximize his potential on the field, he finds himself expendable in Green Bay.
While the business boxes need to be checked, the linchpin in a potential trade for Jones isn’t his contract, it isn’t his age or experience, it’s whether or not Cowboys’ defensive back guru Kris Richard wants him.
Richard prefers his defensive backs to be 6-foot-2 or taller, Jones comes in at 6-foot-1. Richard prefers his DBs to have at least 32-inch arms. Jones has 32-inch arms.
Richard has made a living getting the very best out of the defensive backs he’s coached, from the Legion of Boom in Seattle, to his new set of pupils in Dallas. Jones fits the mold that Richard usually goes after; size, versatility and unabashed physicality. Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network broke down exactly what made Jones such an intriguing prospect coming into the NFL just two years ago.
“Josh Jones is somebody that can play some corner and can also play safety. He tested extremely well. He’s another one that will hit you. He’s a real physical football player. … He’s a tremendous athlete and the Packers love cross-training guys, corners and safeties. Here’s another one.”
What it all comes down to: can Richard coach him up? If Richard can work his magic, and the track record says he can…and if the front office is willing to give up a mid-to-late round draft pick, taking a gamble on Josh Jones might just pay off for the Cowboys’ secondary in 2019.
You can follow Burke at @BurkeDowner.
Gallery
8 Cowboys recovering from surgeries as OTAs start, 14 who benefit
Continue reading...