After a couple of solid seasons with the Detroit Lions, Jason Jones is looking for an NFL team to help in the pass rush. The most likely of landing spots so far seem to be the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys right now seem to be the most interested of the three, although they don’t have too much money to spend and have already made one relatively significant addition to their defensive line already this season. Some thought the Cowboys might be looking to go for a pass rusher with their first round pick and focus on the defensive side on the ball in the draft in general, but they seem to be still interested in possibly making some free agency moves. They have slightly over $8 million in cap space, which is enough and more for Jones.
Jones was paying the Dolphins and Steelers visits earlier in free agency, but right now nothing is moving in that direction. The almost 30-year old made just over $3.1 million on average on his three-year deal with the Lions, and might be struggling to find teams willing to match his demands. That’s what happens when you’re stuck this late in free agency without a team, even when there’s a proven track record to show potential suitors.
Jones had 9.5 sacks for the Lions over the last two seasons. He isn’t the most productive of defensive ends, but he’s a decent player to have around and shuffle in and out of the front seven, adding some depth and experience to the defense. He’s not going to stand out with disastrous speed around the edge, and he’s not going to work in a 3-4 defense. Still, Jones is still good enough to be used somewhere, whether it’s a starting position or a backup role.