A Recently Released DB Could Be a Free Agent Target for Dallas
NFL Free Agency took another turn last week when the Las Vegas Raiders released one of their starting corners who had 70 tackles and three interceptions last season. Jack Jones was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Jones is a 27-year-old corner entering his fifth season in the NFL, going on his third team. The Dallas Cowboys make sense as a destination for a couple of reasons.
The Cowboys do not have a pressing need at corner with Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland both expected to start on the outside next season. Dallas also made an off-season trade, acquiring Kaiir Elam, although that was more of a depth addition. Dallas could view Jones as their nickel corner. Jones would be taking on a new role as Nate Hobbs was the Raiders’ nickel corner in previous seasons, but his abilities to intercept screens and read the quarterback closer to the line of scrimmage would be better suited in a slot corner role. Jones has seven career interceptions, including three in 2024. He is an aggressive corner who has shown the ability to move around in a secondary. Jones is always near the ball on a given play but needs to refine his tackling ability. At five-foot eleven and 175 pounds, Jones can make big hits and tackles for loss but is often a liability in run defense.
There is a chance Dallas does not view Jack Jones as a guaranteed starter; having depth behind Bland and Diggs, who have struggled with injury, would be a big help. Dallas would have four versatile CBs with the additions of Elam and possibly Jack Jones. Jones is a ball-hawking corner who fits the mold of what Jerry Jones and company look for in their secondary. Jones would not cost much, and the Cowboys have cap space to work with. A realistic contract prediction would be around one year, three million dollars, which is similar to the amount of guaranteed money that was left on Jones’ deal. Jones has had character concerns, and this would be his second time being cut while eligible on a rookie contract. Jack Jones has to prove himself and stay consistent, and he a very likely to prove it in 2025 if he hopes to sign a long-term contract in the near future.
