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Jonathan Jones

Commanders To Sign CB Jonathan Jones

March 12th, 2025 at 4:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jonathan Jones will be on the move for the first time in his career this offseason. The longtime Patriots corner has a one-year deal in place with the Commanders, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This leaves David Andrews as the last player left from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years, as Jones had become a quick fixture on the Pats’ most recent three such seasons. As Mike Vrabel aggressively turns over the roster, Jones is moving on. This deal has a maximum value of $6.5MM, per Fowler.

Operating in the slot and on the outside for the Pats, Jones had been a staple for the team under Bill Belichick and then Jerod Mayo. Jones has made an atypical late-career transition, sliding from perennial slot stopper to a boundary corner. After playing almost all of his 2022 snaps outside, Jones earned a two-year, $19MM deal to stay in what turned out to be Belichick’s finale. The Pats paid up for Carlton Davis, however, and the pricey free agency addition will complement Christian Gonzalez in 2025.

Jones, 31, continued on the outside over the past two years but will probably be better remembered for his slot defense, seeing as those years overlapped with the close of a dynasty. The Patriots added Jones as a 2016 UDFA and immediately put him to work. Jones predated Stephon Gilmore in Foxborough, complementing Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan in 2016. Belichick led Butler, Ryan, Gilmore and J.C. Jackson leave but prioritized Jones, giving him two veteran contracts to stay.

Jones played 132 regular-season games with the Pats and was on the field for eight more playoff contests. Jones joined Butler in not playing in Super Bowl LII, though the former’s absence was not controversial as it came due to injury. While Butler’s absence will be talked about for a while, Jones’ goes overlooked during Nick Foles‘ masterpiece. Jones was open to staying in New England, but MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian had reported he would hit the market.

“I would love to (stay),” Jones said. “It’s rare for a guy to be in one place his entire career. Especially after being undrafted, being here my entire career, I feel indebted to be here.”

Jones will join a Commanders team that let Benjamin St-Juste leave for a Chargers deal. Washington has Mike Sainristil as a potential long-term slot option, and Marshon Lattimore‘s recently acquired contract runs through 2026. With Michael Davis and Noah Igbinoghene unsigned, Jones will have a clear route to a starting role. Considering Lattimore’s run of recent injury trouble, Jones figures to be an important addition.

Patriots Prioritized Keeping Jonathan Jones, Received Calls On Kyle Dugger

November 12th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

With David Andrews out for the season, just one regular starter from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years remains in their lineup. Jonathan Jones is playing out his third contract with the team, doing so as a starting cornerback.

Now 31, Jones once teamed with the likes of Stephon Gilmore and the McCourty brothers for the previous Super Bowl-winning Pats squad. While Gilmore was only part of one Pats Super Bowl-winning team, Jones served as a regular for the 2016 and ’18 squads. As the Patriots play out the string in their first post-Bill Belichick season, they held onto the ninth-year veteran at the trade deadline.

Jones came up as a trade chip late last month, but it was reported the Pats were not interested in moving him. Jones effectively confirmed this by indicating front office boss Eliot Wolf (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) informed him before the trade deadline he would not be moved. This locks in Jones to playing out a two-year, $19MM deal in New England.

As the Pats passed on re-signing Gilmore, trading the former Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, they found room for Jones. The latter re-signed as a free agent in 2023. Under Belichick, the Patriots were certainly not known for overpaying aging players. But the team had kept Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower in the fold while turning to other vets on middle-class contracts. Jones followed in those standouts’ footsteps, but as Wolf’s regime handed out a bevy of contracts to keep Belichick-era talent this offseason, the versatile cornerback was not among them. Jones is heading back toward free agency.

The former UDFA has settled in as an outside corner opposite ascending talent Christian Gonzalez. Pro Football Focus ranks the former Super Bowl-era slot performer 43rd among corners. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots eye another short-term deal with Jones in 2025, as his age will limit his market to a degree. They hold exclusive negotiating rights with Jones until the legal tampering period.

For now, Jones is helping a defense support a Drake Maye-led attack. Kyle Dugger joins him in that regard, but his name also came up at last week’s deadline. Calls came in on the fifth-year safety, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As could be expected given the team’s offseason investment in Dugger, it does not appear serious talks took place.

Unlike the Giants with Xavier McKinney, the Pats did keep Dugger off the market by applying the transition tag. This provided a bridge to an extension agreed upon not long after. Dugger, 28, is attached to a four-year, $58MM deal that includes a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary ($9.75MM). Considering the dead money that would have come from trading Jones now (upwards of $16MM), it certainly is not surprising no serious Dugger trade rumors emerged.

Each of New England’s five DB regulars arrived under Belichick, with nearly the team’s entire defense consisting of additions from the fired HC/de facto GM’s time at the helm. Davon Godchaux also came up in trade talks, but the recently extended defender remains. The Pats did trade Matt Judon this summer and Josh Uche (to the Chiefs) at the deadline, so they will enter the offseason with a need on the edge. Jones’ impending free agency will require a decision at corner, though Dugger’s status ensures some safety stability moving forward.

Patriots Shopping Multiple Receivers, Not Interested In Trading Jonathan Jones

October 29th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots made their first trade deadline move on Monday, sending edge rusher Josh Uche to the Chiefs for a sixth-round pick, and New England may have more moves in store as November 5 approaches.

The Patriots are “fielding calls on corners and receivers,” per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, with Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn as the wideouts of interest.

New England has already been shopping Thornton for a few weeks, and Osborn may be frustrated after his playing time dropped in recent weeks. He is the more proven receiver after recording at least 500 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons for the Vikings, but he’s only averaging 27.3 yards per game this year as part of a struggling Patriots offense with turnover across the offensive line and under center. Osborn would also be an affordable acquisition for nearly any team; he is owed just over $1MM in salary and per game roster bonuses across the rest of the season.

Thornton also has just over $1MM of salary remaining this season, and he is under contract for 2.24MM in 2025, though that is not guaranteed. He has just four catches for 47 yards this season, but his speed is undeniable after a 4.28-second 40 yard dash at the Combine in 2022. He could be an affordable, speedy addition to a team that believes they can still get the best out of the 24-year-old.

New England is not interested in trading veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones, according to Breer, despite the fact that the 31-year-old Jones is a pending free agent who does not fit in the team’s long-term roster plans. Jones is set to earn $5M for the rest of 2024, making him a pricier acquisition for a team in need of secondary help. If the Patriots aren’t looking to trade him, Jones is unlikely to leave New England this season unless he requests a trade.

Instead of selling players, the Patriots could be buyers at the deadline despite their 2-6 record. After their Week 8 victory over the Jets, New England is “monitoring the trade market to potentially add talent,” per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson.

The Patriots are specifically looking to upgrade at wide receiver, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle. Several offensive and defensive linemen are on injured reserve, forcing the Patriots to cycle multiple units in the trenches on both sides of the ball this year. However, sacrificing significant draft compensation for short-term upgrades in a losing season would be a surprise for a Patriots regime that seems committed to rebuilding under head coach Jerod Mayo and first-round quarterback Drake Maye.

Patriots Could Pursue CB Depth

July 18th, 2024 at 7:16pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots’ cornerbacks corps is set to look a bit different in 2024. Myles Bryant, Jalen Mills, and J.C. Jackson accounted for 1,743 snaps last season but are no longer on the roster. The team can still feel comfortable atop their depth chart; Jonathan Jones returns after emerging as an outside CB in 2023, and the team will also welcome back 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez, who was limited to only four games as a rookie thanks to a torn labrum and dislocated shoulder.

However, the depth behind that duo remains questionable, and that could lead the Patriots to pursue some reinforcement. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes, the organization could be in the market for a cornerback if somebody “doesn’t emerge in the first couple weeks of camp.”

Volin is confident that the team has a temporary answer to replace Bryant in the slot, with former Bills draft pick Alex Austin having impressed the organization down the stretch last season. Otherwise, the team is eyeing some uninspiring options.

Shaun Wade started six of his 14 appearances last season, but the former Ravens fifth-round pick isn’t guaranteed a roster spot. Marcus Jones impressed on special teams as a rookie but only saw a part-time role on defense. Coming off a shoulder injury that limited him to only two games in 2023, Jones will once again have to prove himself as a cornerback. The rest of the team’s depth includes the likes of sixth-round rookie Marcellas Dial and 2023 seventh-round pick Isaiah Bolden.

If the Patriots’ staff realizes they only have two or three capable CBs, the team could pivot to free agency. Volin specifially points to Jackson, who remains unsigned. The veteran was acquired by New England via trade in October, and he started six of his eight appearances during his second stint with the team.

Former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore remains unsigned, and the cornerback recently expressed interest in a reunion with the organization. Xavien Howard, Patrick Peterson, and Adoree’ Jackson are also still free agents, although there’s a chance the rebuilding squad just prefers to take a chance on an unproven talent.

Contract Details: Young, Awuzie, Taylor, Rams, Cards, Chargers, 49ers, Lions, Texans

March 20th, 2024 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

With free agency’s first wave in the rearview mirror, here is a look at some of the contracts authorized by teams in the days since the market opened:

  • Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Titans). Three years, $36MM. Contract includes $22.98MM guaranteed. Awuzie’s 2025 base salary ($11.49MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing, with $7.51MM of that total fully guaranteed. Awuzie being on Tennessee’s roster on April 1 of next year locks in the other $3.98MM. The veteran cornerback is a due a $1MM bonus on April 1, 2026, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Commanding a market, the recent Jaguars cap casualty’s second Rams contract can be worth up to $30MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
  • Chase Young, DE (Saints). One year, $13MM. The deal includes $7.99MM in per-game roster bonuses, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones notes. Including a $2.7MM base salary and a $1.86MM signing bonus, Young’s New Orleans pact is still heavily tilted toward games active. That will make the defensive end’s recovery from neck surgery worth monitoring more closely.
  • Tyrod Taylor, QB (Jets): Two years, $12MM. Taylor will see $8.5MM fully guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. An additional $6MM in incentives are present in the veteran QB’s deal. Three void years are included here, dropping Taylor’s 2024 cap hit to $2.8MM.
  • DeeJay Dallas, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $8.25MM. Dallas will see $2.4MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The final two base salaries on this contract — both worth $2.4MM — are nonguaranteed. Rushing yards-based incentives run up to $750K per year in this deal.
  • Javon Kinlaw, DT (Jets): One year, $7.25MM. The ex-49ers first-rounder will receive a $5.5MM signing bonus, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the deal also includes $1.75MM in incentives.
  • Gus Edwards, RB (Chargers). Two years, $6.5MM. The ex-Ravens back will see $3.38MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $3MM 2025 base salary is nonguaranteed, with Wilson adding he is due a $125K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
  • Noah Brown, WR (Texans): One year, $4MM. Brown re-signed with the Texans for $3MM guaranteed, per Wilson. The wideout’s second Houston contract can max out at $5MM.
  • Jon Feliciano, G (49ers). One year, $2.75MM. Feliciano will receive a $925K signing bonus, and Wilson adds $1.25MM in incentives are present in this accord.
  • Emmanuel Moseley, CB (Lions). One year, $1.13MM. Moseley will stay in Detroit for the veteran minimum, via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. Coming off a second ACL tear in two years, Moseley will receive a $1MM signing bonus. He received $6MM in 2023.

Notable 2024 Pro Bowl Incentives

January 4th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL released the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters last night. While the annual All-Star event has lost some of its luster (and is eyeing a significant revamping in 2024), a Pro Bowl selection is still a significant accomplishment for many players…especially from a financial standpoint.

There were a number of Pro Bowlers whose selections were tied to contract incentives. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl incentives below:

Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick didn’t have a traditional Pro Bowl incentive, but his selection will still result in more money. Per Corry, Reddick’s 2024 base salary will increase by $500K (from $13.75MM to $14.25MM) thanks to the Pro Bowl selection.

A handful of former first-round picks also boosted the value of their fifth-year options by earning their first Pro Bowl nod (via Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus): Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Ravens offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum, Lions offensive lineman Penei Sewell, and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain boosted the value of their fifth-round option to the maximum amount with a second Pro Bowl selection.

Beyond incentives, players also get some cash for just participating in the Pro Bowl event. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes, players on the winning team will earn $88K, while players on the losing team will get $44K. This even applies to Pro Bowl players who can’t participate since they’re playing in the Super Bowl.

AFC Rumors: Quessenberry, Jones, Meyers, Anudike-Uzomah

August 19th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bills seemingly signed veteran offensive tackle Brandon Shell with the intention that he would plug in as a full-time starter, much like he had done in Miami, Seattle, and New York over his career. Shell’s sudden retirement decision days ago threw a bit of a wrench in those plans.

At left tackle, Dion Dawkins slots in as the obvious left tackle starter, as he has since his rookie year. The starter across from him, for right now, is currently Spencer Brown. Brown has started 24 games over his first two years in the league, but the ability of the former third-round pick to start long term has yet to be proven.

If Brown struggles or if he or Dawkins go down with injury, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports that David Quessenberry is expected to slot into the primary backup, swing tackle role. Buffalo doesn’t have a ton of depth beyond Quessenberry, and this late in the season, that’s not too likely to change.

Tommy Doyle and Ryan Van Demark both sit on the depth chart behind Quessenberry and should make a push for the initial 53-man roster, if not solely due to the lack of depth. But Quessenberry should be the first name off the bench in the case that Brown or Dawkins aren’t there for any reason.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the AFC, starting with another team in the AFC East:

  • The Patriots have been operating the past two weeks without veteran starting cornerback Jonathan Jones. The long-time staple in New England’s secondary has been absent with an undisclosed injury. Luckily, whatever the ailment is, Karen Guregian of MassLive reports that Jones is expected to be back for the team’s regular season opener. The Patriots are reportedly being careful with him, but the plan is for him to be starting a couple Sundays from now.
  • Last month, the Raiders concluded a deal that would eventually help them bring in veteran cornerback Marcus Peters. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the team converted $3.92MM of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers‘s base salary for 2023 into a signing bonus and added two voidable years. The move takes his base salary down from $5MM in 2023 to $1.08MM but freed up $3.14MM of cap space, helping Las Vegas to continue building their roster this offseason.
  • Staying in the AFC West, the rich got richer when the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs added Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah at the end of the first round this past April. Most of the team’s pass rushing comes from interior lineman Chris Jones, but with Frank Clark gone, a starting role was open across from George Karlaftis III. Kansas City signed Charles Omenihu to potentially fill that role, but he is set to serve a six-game suspension to start the season. Still, according to The Athletic contributor Nate Taylor’s recent update, the plan for Anudike-Uzomah appears to be for him to appear out of a rotation. The team may explore adding an additional veteran pass rusher to help holdover the role in Omenihu’s absence, but in the long run, they don’t want to rush Anudike-Uzomah out on the field until he’s ready.

Latest On Patriots’ CB Situation

June 18th, 2023 at 7:53pm CST by Ely Allen

In his rookie season, fourth-round pick Jack Jones graded out as the league’s 17th-best cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His recent arrest is the latest of a series of off-field incidents. If the NFL hands out a punishment, the Patriots may need to figure out how to field a secondary without him.

New England was able to nab one of the draft’s best cornerback prospects in the middle of the first round in Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez. The 17th overall draft pick this year has gotten off to a hot start in New England. According to Karen Guregian of MassLive, Gonzalez is “on the fast track to get one of the starting boundary” positions at corner.

The Patriots seemingly had a desire for the upcoming season to move Jonathan Jones back to a more consistent slot role. Jones had spent the first six years of his career mostly in the slot for New England before shifting to the outside for 85 percent of his snaps last season. With Jack Jones establishing himself last year, the team could move Jonathan Jones back inside and let Jack handle boundary duties, giving the team a strong starting three.

Jack Jones was the favorite to start opposite Gonzalez, especially if Jonathan Jones were to move inside to nickelback. His arrest brings that scenario into question a bit more. After a tumultuous college career that included academic issues and another arrest, Jack Jones had trouble separating himself from that reputation after getting hit with a two-game suspension enforced by the Patriots for a violation of unspecified team rules last year. If the NFL sees this history and decides to make a statement after his most recent arrest, Jones could be facing a lengthy absence.

If Jones is forced to miss time, the Patriots luckily have another high-performing second year cornerback and, coincidentally, another Jones in Marcus Jones. Marcus made four starts as a rookie last year while playing mostly on the outside. He’s also a top return man for the Patriots, though, finishing his rookie year as a first-team All-Pro, so they might be hesitant to start him full-time on defense, as well. If they can afford to, though, he would fill in nicely during Jack Jones’s absence.

Myles Bryant is also set to contribute at cornerback for New England, both at slot and out wide, but the Patriots likely don’t want to have to rely on him starting full-time. Behind them, the team currently rosters Isaiah Bolden, Quandre Mosely, Rodney Randle, Ameer Speed, and Shaun Wade, but none of them are strong candidates to make the 53-man roster, let alone finish the offseason as a starter.

So, there you have it. If Jack Jones is forced to miss significant time due to his arrest, the Patriots have a good number of options. They can leave Jonathan Jones on the outside and count on Marcus Jones and Bryant to cover the bulk of responsibilities on the inside. They can also start Jonathan outside until bringing on a third cornerback and shift him to the slot while Marcus takes over on the outside. Or they can stick to the plan of moving Jonathan inside and give Marcus some run as a starter until Jack returns.

Patriots Expected To Re-Sign CB Jonathan Jones

March 13th, 2023 at 11:17am CST by Adam La Rose

Jonathan Jones had been expected to test the open market this week, but that will no longer be the case. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the corner is re-signing with the Patriots on a two-year contract (Twitter link).

The 29-year-old played out the final season of a three-year extension he signed with the Patriots in 2019. His production over that span, including seven interceptions and usage both in the slot and on the boundary, would have made him a candidate for a notable contract from New England or another team on the open market. Ultimately, it looks like he took a bit of a discount to stick around with the Patriots.

The former UDFA out of Auburn mostly played in the slot during his first six seasons in the NFL, but he was required to take on a larger role in 2022 following the loss of J.C. Jackson in the secondary. Jones ended up having a career season from a statistical standpoint while playing on the outside, finishing with career-highs in interceptions (four) and passes defended (11) while starting a career-high 16 games.

Pro Football Focus also gave Jones some praise for his new role, ranking him 38th among 118 qualifying cornerbacks. When serving as a slot cornerback, Jones had a pair of top-20 finishes, including a fifth-place ranking in 2020.

“He’s tough, well prepared, smart kid,” Belichick said this past season (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “His playing strength for his size is good, speed’s very good, instincts, quickness, good tackler. He’s a good player and really good off the field with preparation and communication.”

While the Patriots were able to bring back Jones on an affordable contract, the team wasn’t in dire need of cornerback help. The organization got some solid production from rookies Marcus Jones and Jack Jones in 2022, but with Jonathan Jones back in the fold, the team won’t be as reliant on the upcoming sophomores.

Patriots Interested In Re-Signing Jonathan Jones; Jakobi Meyers Expected To Reach Market

March 12th, 2023 at 7:35am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 12: One team that has looked into Meyers’ market believes the NC State product will command a $15MM/year deal, a source tells Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. If that projection is accurate, then it becomes even more unlikely that Meyers returns to Foxborough, and Doug Kyed of AtoZSports.com says fellow wideout Nelson Agholor also appears to be headed elsewhere.

Per Reiss, Jones has indicated that he would like to re-sign with the Pats and that the two sides have discussed a new contract.

MARCH 7: Jonathan Jones played out his second Patriots contract in 2022. The veteran cornerback now joins Jakobi Meyers in free agency. New England appears interested in retaining Jones, while Meyers’ expected price tag may be too steep.

The Pats are interested in re-signing Jones, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports. Substantial talks do not appear to have taken place, but the former Super Bowl contributor does not profile as the top corner available in free agency like J.C. Jackson did a year ago. Meyers, however, may be the top option at his position. That stands to complicate a return to the Pats.

Meyers has engaged in conversations about staying in New England, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the sides have not made too much progress. This thin receiver market stands to inflate Meyers’ value. Odell Beckham Jr. is the biggest name available at receiver, but the 30-year-old standout’s injury issues complicate his market. Ditto DJ Chark. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Meyers do not carry such baggage, though the former would seem a strong candidate to stay in Kansas City given his production spike when teamed with Patrick Mahomes last season.

New England extended Jones just before the 2019 season, signing him to a three-year, $21MM deal. A similar accord may be enough for the Pats to retain Jones on a third contract, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes Jones is likely headed to the open market (video link). He would join the likes of Jamel Dean, James Bradberry and Byron Murphy here.

Murphy and Jones each bring slot and boundary coverage experience, with the latter serving as New England’s top slot option for most of his tenure. Pro Football Focus graded Jones as the No. 5 overall corner in 2020, his most recent full season as a slot player. Jones suffered an injury midway through the 2021 season but bounced back in 2022. Jones played on the outside more in 2022, out of necessity but has earned a solid reputation in the slot over the course of his career.

Still, his age (30 in September) will provide some limitations in free agency. Although the Pats are interested in keeping Jones, Rapoport tweets a franchise tag should not be considered in the equation. With the cornerback tag being $18.3MM, Jones was never a candidate to be cuffed. Slot corners’ value has not come up near the point a tag would enter the picture.

Entering his age-27 season, Meyers is coming of back-to-back 800-plus-yard receiving campaigns. After Pats signings of Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne produced inconsistency, their UDFA success story has provided some security. Meyers’ relatively low yards-per-reception totals (12.4 is his career-high mark) could cap his value, but this year’s receiver market will still put him in position to command a lucrative accord.

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