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Ben Jones

Jets Interested In C Ben Jones

March 27th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Rory Parks

MARCH 27: Having brought in Jones’ former position coach this offseason, Douglas confirmed Monday (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) the team is indeed interested in signing the veteran center.

MARCH 26: The Jets’ pursuit of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been one of the NFL’s biggest storylines in 2023. A resolution to the Rodgers situation will obviously remain the top priority for both Green Bay and New York, but even assuming the Jets ultimately land Rodgers as expected, they will still need to determine who is snapping the ball to him.

Connor McGovern, who has operated as Gang Green’s starting center over the past three years, is now out of contract. He remains unsigned, and there have been no public reports of interest in his services despite his starting experience, durability, and the fact that he has achieved average or better grades from Pro Football Focus in each of his professional seasons outside of his rookie campaign in 2017.

Still, it does not appear as if a new contract for McGovern is Plan A for GM Joe Douglas. Instead, as Brian Costello of the New York Post reported last week, the Jets appear to be interested in Ben Jones (Twitter link). Jones, a longtime starting pivot for the Titans, was released by the club earlier this month, and as former Tennessee OL coach Keith Carter is now with the Jets, there is an obvious connection to be made.

Prior to missing five games last season, Jones, an 11-year veteran, had been a model of durability for the Titans. He missed just one game in his first six Tennessee slates, becoming a central part of Derrick Henry‘s two rushing titles and the team’s Mike Vrabel-era resurgence. Jones’ 108 starts at center are the most in Titans history.

Now 33, Jones has been consistently rated by PFF as a top-10 center, a trend that continued in 2022 despite the fact that he suffered two concussions during the season. Jones was said to be contemplating retirement as a result of those injuries, though we have not heard anything on that front one way or another in recent weeks.

The center market has been fairly team-friendly this offseason, so the Jets could likely acquire Jones for a modest price relative to his experience and abilities. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com confirmed today that the Georgia product is a consideration for Douglas & Co.

New York has already added a possible center option in Trystan Colon-Castillo, but it appears the team wants a more proven talent at the position (which makes sense given the likely Rodgers acquisition). And although Wes Schweitzer is now on hand to offer experienced depth across the O-line, he does not profile as a starting-caliber option as a snapper.

Titans To Release C Ben Jones

March 10th, 2023 at 10:22am CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans are moving on from another of their starting offensive linemen. Not long after cutting Taylor Lewan, Tennessee is releasing veteran center Ben Jones, Buck Reising of AtoZsports.com reports.

Jones has been with the Titans for the past seven seasons. He joined Lewan and Nate Davis in ending the season on IR. Each player is now off the Titans’ roster or could be soon, with Davis set for free agency Wednesday. The trio had been with the Titans for a combined 20 seasons.

This news comes after Jones put retirement on the table earlier this offseason. Prior to missing five games last season, the 11-year veteran had been an iron man for the organization. Jones missed just one game in his first six Titans slates, becoming a central part of Derrick Henry‘s two rushing titles and the Titans’ Mike Vrabel-era resurgence. Jones’ 108 starts at center are the most in Titans history.

Jones, 33, signed a third contract with the Titans in 2022, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $14MM deal. The Titans will save $3.7MM by moving Jones off the roster. Jones’ release follows a collection of cuts by new GM Ran Carthon, who said goodbye to Lewan, Robert Woods, Zach Cunningham and Randy Bullock over the past two weeks.

As the Titans made three journeys to the playoffs from 2019-21, Pro Football Focus rated Jones as a top-10 center in each campaign. Jones and Davis were there for almost all of Henry’s performances during his 2019 and 2020 rushing crowns, with Lewan beginning to battle injuries during this span. Both Jones and Davis helped Tennessee to the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021. Last season, PFF rated Jones as the league’s No. 9 center, though he suffered two concussions during the campaign. The nature of these absences point to uncertainty about his going through with a 12th NFL season.

Tennessee initially brought in Jones during Jon Robinson‘s first offseason as GM (2016). That four-year, $17.5MM agreement ended up being one of the best moves in Titans free agency history, with Jones becoming a set-it-and-forget-it blocker with his second NFL franchise. The Texans initially drafted Jones in the fourth round out of Georgia back in 2012.

As far as centers go, this free agency market houses a few starters. Connor McGovern, Bradley Bozeman, Garrett Bradbury, Ethan Pocic and Jake Brendel are set to hit the market soon. The Titans will have some options in replacing Jones, with Carthon having ties to Brandel due to their time with the 49ers. Teams can begin speaking with these snappers once the legal tampering period begins Monday afternoon. Jones, however, has a slight head-start due to this release. Being considered a street free agent, Jones can sign with another team immediately.

Titans Release LT Taylor Lewan

February 22nd, 2023 at 10:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans are following through with their expected Taylor Lewan release. After nine seasons in Tennessee, the Pro Bowl left tackle announced (via his Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, on Twitter) he is set to be a free agent.

Although Lewan initially indicated a pay cut could be a path for him to stay with the Titans, it looks like the sides are parting ways. Lewan said he would consider retirement this offseason. It is not yet known if the three-time Pro Bowler plans to play a 10th season, but the Titans will create another need along their offensive line with Wednesday’s transaction.

[RELATED: Titans To Cut WR Robert Woods]

The prospect of that above-referenced return at a reduced rate remains under consideration, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky (on Twitter), but the team has a few moving pieces up front at present. For now, this release will create significant cap savings.

No guarantees remained on Lewan’s contract; the release will shed $14.8MM from Tennessee’s payroll. While the 31-year-old blocker had been one of the game’s best left tackles, injuries have sidelined him for much of the past few seasons. Lewan has missed 30 games since the 2020 campaign.

Lewan signed a five-year, $80MM extension with the Titans back in 2018. He stood as the premier player on an O-line that helped Derrick Henry to the rushing title in 2019. Lewan was unable to play a significant role during Henry’s second rushing championship, tearing an ACL five games into the 2020 season, but he did re-emerge to assist the injury-battered Titans to the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021. Lingering knee trouble affected him that year, however, and another ACL tear sidelined the Michigan product in Week 2 of the 2022 season.

The Titans drafted Lewan 11th overall, selecting him during Ruston Webster’s GM tenure. Jon Robinson authorized the extension; new Tennessee GM Ran Carthon is signing off on the release. Although Lewan sits just outside the top 10 in franchise history for games started by an offensive lineman, his 100 starts are sixth in the Titans era. Only Michael Roos, Benji Olson, David Stewart, Ben Jones and Brad Hopkins have logged more starts with Tennessee among O-linemen. Lewan was the current Titans’ longest-tenured player.

Tennessee already has right guard Nate Davis on the cusp of free agency, and Jones is considering retirement after finishing the season on IR. The veteran center is signed through 2023, however. Tennessee cut Rodger Saffold last year and replaced him primarily with former UDFA Aaron Brewer, who can be retained as a restricted free agent. Nicholas Petit-Frere, a 2022 third-round pick, may be penciled in at right tackle, but Carthon and Co. will have plenty of work to do to assemble a line around him. Thanks to the Lewan and Woods moves, additional cap space will now be available to do so.

Titans Place C Ben Jones, CB Terrance Mitchell On IR

December 22nd, 2022 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans’ injury problems are not relenting. Following the report of Ryan Tannehill likely being out for the season, the AFC South leaders are placing center Ben Jones and cornerback Terrance Mitchell on IR.

Jones suffered his second concussion this season, and Mitchell sustained a hamstring injury against the Chargers. Neither player could return until the divisional round of the playoffs, but the Titans’ injury issues overall will present a test to merely qualify for the postseason.

Tennessee will face Houston with Malik Willis under center and its offensive line banged up. Taylor Lewan has been out since September, and guard Nate Davis joins Jones in being sidelined. The Titans ruled out Davis because of an ankle injury. The team also placed tackle Dillon Radunz on IR on Wednesday. The team elevated O-lineman Daniel Munyer from its practice squad Thursday. Lewan is a Pro Bowler, while Pro Football Focus has slotted Jones as a top-10 center and Davis a top-20 guard. The Titans will face the Texans without their three best blockers.

Drawing praise for his toughness this season from Mike Vrabel, Jones has signed three contracts with the Titans. The rare O-lineman to sign four multiyear deals during his career, Jones inked his most recent accord this offseason. Tennessee gave its longtime center a two-year, $14MM pact to return to block for Tannehill and Derrick Henry. Jones, 33, had been an iron man coming into this season, missing just one game over his first 10 years. By the end of this season, he will have missed five contests. The former Texans fourth-round pick has started 151 career games (108 with the Titans).

Tennessee’s draft strategy did not point to Mitchell being required to play a key role this season, but the journeyman cornerback has made five starts. Tennessee’s 2021 first-round pick, Caleb Farley, struggled to carve out a role and is now out for the season with another injury. Regular starter Kristian Fulton, a 2020 second-round pick, has not played since Week 13. The Titans have ruled out Fulton for a third straight game. Slot man Elijah Molden remains on IR, having been placed on the injured list for a second time.

Despite being one of the Patriots’ final cuts in August, Mitchell has played 398 snaps for the Titans this season. The former seventh-round pick has been a regular for most of his career, having seen extensive run as a starter for the Chiefs, Browns and Texans. Of the Titans’ top five corners, only second-round rookie Roger McCreary is healthy.

The Titans have run into rampant injury issues for a second consecutive year. They used an NFL-record 91 players last season and are moving toward that total this year. Tennessee has a league-high 19 players on IR heading into Week 16. Owner Amy Adams Strunk cited the team’s injury problems as one of the reasons GM Jon Robinson was fired. Tennessee has two IR activations left. The team designated linebacker Zach Cunningham for return last week; an activation would leave them with one IR-return move left.

FiveThirtyEight gives the Titans a 46% chance to win the division. Friendlier odds would appear if the Jaguars lose to the Jets on Thursday night. If the Titans miss the playoffs, they would join only the 2021 Ravens as teams to start 7-3 or better and miss out since 2017.

Contract Details: Winston, Ward, Fournette, Conklin, Jones, Jewell, Vander Esch

March 22nd, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFL:

  • Charvarius Ward, CB (49ers): Three years, $40.5MM. Of Ward’s $26.7MM in guarantees, $12MM comes via a signing bonus, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus tweets. The 49ers will keep Ward’s initial cap hit low, with his 2022 figure checking in at $3.8MM. That spikes to $16.3MM in 2023. Two void years are included in Ward’s deal, giving the 49ers a cap charge of $4.81MM in 2025.
  • Jameis Winston, QB (Saints): Two years, $28MM. Winston received a $14MM signing bonus and has a $1.2MM fully guaranteed 2022 base salary, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. $5.8MM of Winston’s $12.8MM 2023 base salary is presently guaranteed for injury; it will become fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. Winston can earn up to $16MM in incentives, $8MM in each year, through team accomplishments — as long as Winston is the Saints’ primary starter — and participation rate.
  • Leonard Fournette, RB (Buccaneers): Three years, $21MM. Along with a $4.5MM signing bonus, the Bucs fully guaranteed Fournette’s 2022 base salary ($2MM) and $2MM of his $6.5MM 2023 base, Florio notes. Another $2MM of that amount turns from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee next year. Fournette’s $6.5MM 2024 base is nonguaranteed. Among the deal’s $1.5MM in incentives, which only cover 2023 and 2024, Fournette can collect $250K for finishing a season in the top 15 in rushing yards and $500K for a top-10 rushing finish.
  • Tyler Conklin, TE (Jets): Three years, $20.25MM. The Jets are guaranteeing Conklin $10MM, including $3.9MM of his 2023 base salary. Conklin’s cap hits go $3.4MM, $8.4MM, $8.4MM from 2022-24, Spielberger tweets.
  • Ben Jones, C (Titans): Two years, $14MM. Jones will see $8MM guaranteed, which comes via $6.88MM signing bonus and a guaranteed $1.12MM 2022 base salary, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Jones’ deal includes a $1MM roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2023 league year. His 2023 base salary comes in at $5MM.
  • Josey Jewell, LB (Broncos): Two years, $11MM. The Broncos guaranteed Jewell $6MM, which is present through a $4MM signing bonus and a $1.5MM 2022 base salary, Wilson tweets. His nonguaranteed 2023 base comes in at $4.49MM. An additional $1MM in incentives are also available for the four-year veteran.
  • Leighton Vander Esch, LB (Cowboys): One year, $2MM. The Cowboys are guaranteeing $1.75MM and included an additional $1MM in playing-time incentives, Ari Meirov of PFF tweets.

Titans Re-Sign Ben Jones

March 14th, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans’ offensive line has undergone plenty of changes in recent days, but there will be continuity in the middle of it. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team is re-signing center Ben Jones to a two-year, $14MM deal (Twitter link).

This pact comes with $8MM guaranteed, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, making Year 2 of the deal essentially an option year for the Titans. This will be Jones’ seventh season in Tennessee.

[RELATED: Titans To Sign Jamarco Jones]

Tennessee has recently moved on from two pieces to their offensive front. Last week they released Rodger Saffold along with Kendall Lamm. While it saved the team some notable cap space, it leaves question marks up front for one of the league’s most run-heavy offenses. Keeping Jones in the fold will certainly help in that regard.

Jones, who will be 33 by the start of the 2022 season, has been with the Titans since 2016. Durability has never been a concern over that time, as he has missed just one game in Nashville, and started each contest throughout his time there. PFF graded him as only allowing one sack all season in 2021, leading to an overall rating of 77.8. That is right on par with his previous performances, meaning he should still be counted on as a consistent presence along the line.

With Jones off the market, the center position continues to thin out. Ryan Jensen re-signed with the Buccaneers yesterday, leaving Bradley Bozeman as the name at the top of the list amongst free agents. Brian Allen represents another name that teams in need of a new center could be expected to pursue.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/21

September 8th, 2021 at 6:49pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve compiled today’s minor NFL transactions below:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Released from IR with injury settlement: P Dom Maggio

Buffalo Bills

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Released from IR with injury settlement: LS Cole Mazza

Tennessee Titans

South Notes: Godwin, Titans, Texans, Jaguars

October 3rd, 2020 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Titans dominating NFL newscycles this week, here is the latest from their division and an update on one of the NFC South’s best players.

  • Chris Godwin‘s latest injury-induced absence may well extend beyond Sunday. The Buccaneers wide receiver will miss Week 4 with a mild hamstring pull, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Because the Bucs face the Bears on Thursday to kick off Week 5, the team may be hard-pressed to have Godwin avoid missing two games. Godwin missed Tampa Bay’s Week 2 game because of a concussion. Coming into his contract year, Godwin had only missed two career games.
  • The shoulder injury Taylor Lewan suffered against the Vikings last week is not considered serious, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. He was iffy to face the Steelers, prior to the game’s postponement, so odds are certainly better the longtime Titans left tackle would be ready to play against the Bills next weekend.
  • Should the Titans be cleared to resume their season against the Bills in Week 5, they will need to bring in another long snapper. The team will not use starting center Ben Jones as its specialty snapper, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com tweets. Beau Brinkley, Tennessee’s long snapper in every game since his 2012 rookie season, is currently on the Titans’ reserve/COVID-19 list.
  • The Seahawks will have Shaquem Griffin in uniform for the second straight week, despite not carrying the linebacker over to its Week 1 roster out of training camp. A Seahawks regular in 2018-19, Griffin began the season on the team’s practice squad. But at least three other teams, including the Texans, expressed interest in the inspirational defender. Griffin, however, did not believe a move elsewhere would have presented a better situation, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Shaquem Griffin’s twin brother, Shaquill, being a longtime Seahawk factored into this decision, Shaquem said (Twitter link).
  • The Jaguars did some reshuffling in their scouting department recently. They promoted DeJuan Polk to director of pro personnel and named Chris Driggers as their pro scouting director, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets. Driggers has been with the Jags since the franchise’s inception, actually joining in 1994 — a year before the team began playing games — and has worked in a scouting capacity for the past 23 years. Polk was hired as the Jags’ assistant pro personnel director in 2016.

Titans Sign C Ben Jones To Extension

August 30th, 2019 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans and veteran center Ben Jones agreed to an extension Friday, the team announced. Jones has been the Titans’ starting center since signing with the team in 2016. It’s a two-year deal that will keep Jones in Tennessee through the 2021 season, Paul Kuharsky of Paul Kuharsky.com tweets.

This re-up will pay Jones $13.5MM in new money, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It marks an AAV bump for the eighth-year snapper who was entering the final year of his contract, but with it being on the low end for veteran centers, this marks a team-friendly pact.

The former Texans blocker has played in all 48 regular-season Titans games since signing his initial four-year, $17.5MM deal. He will no longer be entering a walk year, with the Titans viewing the 30-year-old lineman as a key piece going forward.

Tennessee has used a run-oriented offense throughout Jones’ tenure, and the franchise added longtime Rams guard Rodger Saffold this offseason to further bolster its ground attack. Jones joins Saffold and left tackle Taylor Lewan as Titans blockers signed long-term.

A former fourth-round pick out of Georgia, Jones has never missed a game since joining the Texans in 2012. His 112 straight games are the most among active NFL offensive linemen, as are his 80 consecutive starts. Jones graded as the NFL’s No. 12 center last season, per Pro Football Focus, and has been viewed as a consistent blocker for a Titans team that’s ranked third, 15th and sixth in rushing since he switched AFC South sides.

Titans Sign C Ben Jones

March 10th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

THURSDAY, 1:02pm: The Titans have officially signed Jones to his new contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). The financial details on the deal can be found right here.

TUESDAY, 7:14pm: The Titans have poached a free agent from a division rival, as the club has agreed to sign center Ben Jones away from the Texans, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Per Wilson, Jones and Tennessee have agreed to a four-year deal.Ben Jones (Vertical)

Jones, 26, has been with the Texans since 2012, when he entered the league as a fourth-round pick out of Georgia. He became Houston’s full-time starter in 2014, and he’s started all 32 games since. Jones posted solid marks from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him as the No. 18 center in the league last season, noting that he was better in the pass game than as a run-blocker.

In Tennesee, Jones will take over at center for Brian Schwenke and Andy Gallik, both of whom saw starts last year. Offensive line was expected to be an area of focus for the Titans this offseason, and the club could still look to add help at tackle, potentially by selecting Ole Miss prospect Laremy Tunsil with the first overall pick.

It’s been a whirlwind few days for new Titans GM Jon Robinson, who in addition to agreeing to terms with Jones, also struck a deal to bring running back DeMarco Murray to Tennessee.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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