MONDAY: 10:40am: It’s a done deal, according to Jones’ agent (Twitter link).
SUNDAY: 6:08pm: The Dolphins have agreed to terms with free agent defensive end Jason Jones, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jones will sign a one-year deal with Miami on Monday, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Jones, who turns 30 years old in 10 days, had to wait quite awhile to find a new home, as he’ll sign with the Dolphins roughly two months after the start of the free agent period. By waiting until today to sign Jones, Miami was probably aiming to protect any 2017 compensatory picks it might be entitled to, as any free agent signed after May 12 does not factor into the compensatory formula.
The Dolphins first hosted Jones for a visit way back on March 10, and then took another meeting with him in mid-April. Between those two visits, Jones also garnered interest from both the Steelers and Cowboys, but Miami had reportedly kept in touch with him throughout the past several months. Jones ranked as PFR’s No. 13 edge defender heading into free agency, and was one of just three of our top-15 edge players — along with Greg Hardy and O’Brien Schofield — who had yet to find a job.
Jones had spent time with both the Seahawks and Titans before landing with the Lions prior to the 2013 season. After a injury-shortened 2013 during which he appeared in only three contests, Jones started 31 games over the past two years with Detroit, racking up 9.5 sacks over that span. Pro Football Focus ranked Jones as the No. 43 edge defender in the NFL last year, among 110 qualifiers.
Miami’s defensive line will look quite a bit different in 2016 than in did in 2015 — while star tackle Ndamukong Suh is still around, the Dolphins will now field new additions Jones, Mario Williams, and Andre Branch at defensive end, where the club lost Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby to free agency. Fellow end Cameron Wake, meanwhile, recently agreed to an extension through the 2017 season. Additionally, former No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan is reportedly working towards reinstatement from suspension, and could factor into Miami’s 2016 plans.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
We’re getting pretty well stacked at d-end here now. It’s time to start looking for 1 more linebacker n we’ll be good da go!
Being a season ticket holder, I’m really excited about this upcoming season. They are going to surprise people and seeing how much their OLine has improved, Tannehill could have a breakout year.