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Chris Jones (Bowling Green)

49ers Announce Roster Cuts

August 31st, 2018 at 6:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers acquired offensive tackle Shon Coleman earlier this evening, but that wasn’t the only transaction for the club. San Francisco has also begun trimming its roster in advance of Saturday’s roster deadline.

The following players have been cut by the 49ers:

Williams was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, but he’s being pushed off the roster by veterans such as Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert. Locke lost out in his camp battle with fourth-year punter Bradley Pinion. Robinson has followed 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to each of his three stops.

49ers To Sign DT Chris Jones

August 22nd, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are bringing back defensive tackle Chris Jones, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones played in six games (all starts) for the Niners in 2016 but lost the 2017 season to injury. 

After undergoing hip and groin surgeries, Jones is said to be fully healthy. And, now that Cedric Thornton is stepping away from football, he’ll have a chance to be a contributor. He’ll join Earl Mitchell, DeForest Buckner, D.J. Jones, and Sheldon Day on the team’s defensive tackle depth chart.

When healthy, Jones has proven that he can be a productive player. In his first two seasons with the Patriots, Jones put up a combined nine sacks and 88 tackles.

Jones, not to be confused with the Chiefs defensive tackle of the same name, turned 28 in July.

Jets Sign DL Courtney Upshaw

June 14th, 2018 at 5:09pm CST by Ben Levine

After having auditioned for the Jets earlier this week, Courtney Upshaw has signed with the organization. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the defensive lineman has inked a deal with the organization. To make room on the roster, New York has waived defensive lineman Chris Jones (via Darryl Slater of NJ.com on Twitter).

The 2012 second-round pick initially entered the NFL as a linebacker, but he’s since been converted to a defensive lineman. After having spent four relatively productive seasons with the Ravens, Upshaw joined the Falcons back in 2016. He proceeded to play in 26 games (five starts) during his two years in Atlanta, averaging 16 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble per season. Only the Eagles had expressed reported interest in the 28-year-old.

Leonard Williams and Henry Anderson are currently slotted in as the Jets starters at defensive end, while Steve McLendon is listed as the team’s starting nose tackle. Upshaw will presumably have an opportunity to contribute at either position.

Jones, a 2013 sixth-round pick out of Bowling Green, joined the Jets earlier this month. He hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2016, when he compiled 23 tackles in 13 games (six starts) with the Dolphins and 49ers.

Jets To Sign DL Chris Jones

June 5th, 2018 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have signed former Patriots defensive lineman Chris Jones, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room, fellow defensive lineman Claude Pelon was waived. 

Jones, not to be confused with the Chiefs defensive tackle of the same name, has bounced around the NFL since entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 2013. His most notable action came from 2013-14, when he started 22 total games for the Patriots, and in 2016, when he appeared in 13 games for the Dolphins and 49ers.

Jones, 28 in July, has been productive before, as he managed nine sacks from New England’s interior from 2013-14. But injuries have held him back in recent years: a torn calf muscle forced Jones to miss the entire 2015 campaign, while an undisclosed ailment led to Jones spending the 2017 season on injured reserve.

The Jets project to start Leonard Williams and Henry Anderson at defensive end with David Bass and third-round pick Nathan Shepherd among those in reserve, so Pelon was facing long odds of making the cut there. Meanwhile, the Jets are looking for a third nose tackle behind Steve McLendon and Mike Pennel, so Jones should have a reasonable shot at making the roster.

Jets Work Out Lamarr Houston

April 23rd, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are exploring options in the front seven. Gang Green will work out edge rusher Lamarr Houston and defensive tackle Chris Jones, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Former Rams defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker and former Browns defensive lineman Lavar Edwards will also be a part of the workout, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Colleague Mike Garafolo (on Twitter) adds that the Jets brought in former Chiefs defensive tackle Jaye Howard for a visit recently. 

The Jets have already added a number of new linebackers this offseason, including ILBs Avery Williamson, Kevin Minter, and Micah Awe and outside linebackers Kevin Pierre-Louis, Brandon Copeland, and Neville Hewitt. However, they have done little to bolster the defensive line behind projected starters Leonard Williams, Steve McLendon, and Mike Pennel.

After sacrificing two second round picks in this year’s draft (plus a second rounder in next year’s draft) to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 overall, the Jets may want to fill out the D-Line depth chart through veterans in order to focus on other needs this weekend. The Jets still have six picks in the draft, but their second choice won’t come until No. 72 overall.

Houston, 31 in June, recently auditioned for the Raiders but left Oakland without signing a deal. Howard, 29, put himself on the map with 5.5 sacks for the Chiefs in 2015 but was slowed by a hip injury in 2016 and did not play last season.

Colts Host DT Chris Jones

April 17th, 2018 at 6:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts worked out free agent defensive tackle Chris Jones on Tuesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Jones, not to be confused with the Chiefs defensive tackle of the same name, has bounced around the NFL since entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 2013. His most notable action came from 2013-14, when he started 22 total games for the Patriots, and in 2016, when he appeared in 13 games during stints on the Dolphins’ and 49ers’ rosters.

Jones, 27, has been productive before, as he managed nine sacks from New England’s interior from 2013-14. But injuries have derailed his career: a torn calf muscle forced Jones to miss the entire 2015 campaign, while an undisclosed ailment led to Jones spending the 2017 season on injured reserve.

The Colts, meanwhile, can use help along the interior of their defensive line after cutting Johnathan Hankins earlier this year. Indianapolis ranked just 31st in adjusted sack rate in 2017, so Jones and his interior rushing ability could buoy the club’s front four. If signed, Jones would slot in alongside fellow tackles Henry Anderson, Al Woods, Grover Stewart, Anthony Johnson, and Caraun Reid.

49ers Re-Sign DT Chris Jones

March 16th, 2017 at 11:25am CST by Zachary Links

Chris Jones is back in San Francisco. The 49ers and the defensive tackle have agreed on a new one-year deal, agent Mike McCartney tweets.

Jones was claimed off waivers from the Dolphins in November of last year. He went on to start in all six of his games played for SF, racking up 17 tackles in total. After losing the entire 2015 season to a torn calf muscle, Jones proved that he’s back to 100% by appearing in 13 total games for San Francisco and Miami.

The 49ers currently project to start Earl Mitchell next to rising sophomore DeForest Buckner in the middle. Jones will join Quinton Dial and Mike Purcell on the bench, if he makes the final 53-man roster.

49ers IR Arik Armstead, Claim Chris Jones

November 8th, 2016 at 4:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers have placed defensive tackle Arik Armstead on injured reserve and claimed fellow D-tackle Chris Jones off waivers from the Dolphins, per Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter links).

Arik Armstead

Armstead has suited up for all eight of the 49ers’ games this season and garnered four starts, but a shoulder injury has bothered the ex-Oregon Duck since training camp. As a result, he only took the field for four plays in the 49ers’ 41-23 loss to the Saints last Sunday. The 2015 first-round pick has amassed decent counting stats this year – 15 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble – but Pro Football Focus ranks his overall performance a below-average 85th among 119 qualified interior D-linemen.

A third-year man, Jones totaled 24 appearances and 22 starts over his first two NFL seasons as a member of the Patriots, who cut him in April. He went on to appear in seven of the Dolphins’ games this year and participate in 19 percent of their defensive snaps before they waived him Monday.

Dolphins Activate CB Chris Culliver

November 7th, 2016 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins announced that they have officially activated cornerback Chris Culliver from the PUP list to the 53-man roster. In related moves, the Dolphins waived defensive tackle Chris Jones, waived/injured cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, and promoted defensive back LaFayette Pitts from practice squad. Chris Culliver (vertical)

Culliver took the practice field in mid-October, setting him up for his November return to football. Culliver tore his ACL roughly one year ago and it has been a tough road back for the veteran. This offseason, the Dolphins were desperate for help in the secondary and they signed Culliver to a one-year deal with the knowledge that he would be out for the first half of the season.

Now, the Dolphins are more in need of secondary help than ever. Star strong safety Reshad Jones has been playing through a torn rotator cuff for two years, but he pushed it too far and was shut down for the season. At corner, rookie Xavien Howard is dealing with a knee injury and Chekwa is obviously out of the picture. Now at 4-4 after beating the Jets, Culliver joins the Dolphins at a very critical time that can determine the course of their season.

Dolphins Re-Sign DT Chris Jones

September 14th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are re-signing defensive tackle Chris Jones, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). Jones will help provide depth at the position after Earl Mitchell was placed on IR earlier this week. Chris Jones (vertical)

Jones just missed the 53-man cut on September 3rd but Mitchell’s season-ending injury opened up a spot for him on the roster. Jordan Phillips, the Dolphins’ 2015 second-round pick, is expected to fill in as the starting defensive tackle alongside Ndamukong Suh. Now, Jones will offer support in a bench role with Julius Warmsley to support the starting interior defensive linemen.

Jones entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in the 2013 draft. As a rookie, Jones tallied an eye-popping 6.0 sacks with 61 tackles. In 2014, he recorded 3.0 sacks with 27 tackles on his way to winning a Super Bowl ring. Unfortunately, a torn calf muscle cost him the entire 2015 season and he was waived by New England this offseason, leading him to Miami. Jones missed the initial 53-man cut, but the Dolphins need him now more than ever.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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