The Arizona Cardinals will open training camp July 23 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.
Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2023, questions they face and their roster outlook.
Next up is defensive lineman Justin Jones.
Background
Jones comes to the Cardinals after playing four seasons with Chargers and two with the Bears. He played at North Carolina State and was selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2018 draft. He was signed by the Bears after becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2022 and then was signed as a UFA by the Cardinals this year on March 14. He played 51 games with 35 starts while with the Chargers and started all 34 games he played in two seasons with the Bears. In his six-year career, Jones has 12.0 sacks, 10 passes defensed and 219 tackles (120 solo) with 34 for loss.
2023 stats
Last season with the Bears, Jones had 4.5 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, four passes defensed and 49 tackles (29 solo) with 10 for loss.
2024 contract details, cap hit
Jones signed a three-year contract worth $31.165 million with $24.75 million fully guaranteed including a $9.75 million signing bonus and $2 million guaranteed for injury only. His 2024 salary of $3 million is guaranteed and he can also receive $15,000 in per-game roster bonuses for a maximum total of $255,000 and a $50,000 workout bonus. Jones’ salary-cap charge this year is $6.555 million.
Questions he faces
The Cardinals expect him to continue playing at a high level especially after his last two seasons in Chicago. Will he be on the field as much he was in those years playing 68 percent of the defensive snaps in 2022 and 69 percent last year?
2024 roster outlook
Jones should enter the season as a starter on the line while continuing to exhibit the durability he showed with the Bears.
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