The drawn-out Redskins/Matt Jones saga appears to have ended. The franchise informed the running back he’ll be waived today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Jones fell out of favor with the team early during his second season and found himself on the trade block, having fallen behind Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine on Washington’s depth chart. He’ll venture onto waivers after the Redskins were evidently unwilling to find a trade partner, one they were reportedly searching for as far back as the 2016 trade deadline.
The former Florida running back’s former agent lobbied for a release in June, and Jones then switched representation to Drew Rosenhaus. Being a former third-round pick whose yards-per-carry average spiked by more than a yard to 4.6 per tote last season, Jones figures to draw interest on the waiver wire.
Washington benched Jones midseason, however, after using him as a starter in seven games. He nearly outdid his 2015 production (490 yards) despite playing in six fewer contests. But the team clearly soured on the former well-regarded investment. Jones’ improved per-carry numbers notwithstanding, he’s fumbled eight times over the past two seasons.