Tag: Byron Jones

After NFL draft, Broncos should consider these 12 free agents

With the NFL draft now complete, should the Broncos sign any of these free agents who remain available?

The Denver Broncos improved their roster over the weekend by selecting five players in the 2023 NFL draft and adding a tight end via trade.

While the new arrivals should help, the Broncos did overlook a few positions during the draft, most notably including running back and the defensive line. Denver could also still use more depth at guard and tackle, and a Week 1 starting-caliber center wouldn’t hurt.

After signing their draft class, the Broncos are expected to still have around $7 million worth of salary cap space available. That’s not much — and Denver will want to carry some of it into the season — but it is enough to make another budget signing or two.

With the above positions (and a few others) in mind, here’s a quick list of 12 free agents who are still available and could provide more depth for the Broncos as the team prepares to go into organized team activities in May.

Free agents the Vikings can sign that don’t count against compensatory picks

Getting compensatory picks in the NFL draft is a savvy practice and something the Vikings did last year. Who fits that bill this offseason?

Free agency is coming and teams will be talking to free agents in hopes of signing them to their teams. One element that some teams look at more than others is the compensatory pick formula.

The formula is simple in nature. If you lose more unrestricted free agents than you sign, you are eligible for that many compensatory selections. What round they come is determined by how big their contract is.

One area where general managers can take advantage is by signing players that were released before their contract expires. Those players don’t count toward the formula. The Vikings took advantage of that last year by signing Za’Darius Smith.

This season, there will be plenty of players available to sign that can both help the team and not count against the formula. Here is the up-to-date list of those players that will be updated as players get released.

Dolphins to release CB Byron Jones

This saves roughly $13 million in cap space.

With the start of the league year just over a week away, the Miami Dolphins have a number of decisions to make to get under the league’s salary cap.

On Tuesday, they made their first cut of the offseason, informing cornerback Byron Jones of his release on March 15. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter,  the Dolphins are designating the move as a post-June 1 cut.

Jones missed all of the 2022 season while recovering from Achilles surgery. Just over a week ago, he told social media that he can’t run or jump.

This transaction will free up $13.6 million in cap space in June, allowing for Miami to extend someone, sign a late free agent, make a trade or hold some extra cap space for the season.

The Dolphins have just Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Trill Williams and Keion Crossen left on the roster at the position.

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Former Cowboys 1st-round pick Byron Jones denies retirement talk

It appeared the 2015 1st rounder was done playing, but he’s walked back the perceived intent of his tweets. A look at all angles, from @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys had finally broken through. After three straight 8-8 seasons under new head coach Jason Garrett, Dallas finally returned to the playoffs in 2014. Rebuilt around Tony Romo, the club saw postseason action for the first time since 2009, but ended in familiar misery. Dez caught it, the NFL decided they didn’t want the Cowboys in the next round and to the offseason they went.

The Cowboys had a bit of an issue in the secondary that offseason. 2012 draft pick Morris Claiborne was a disappointment and missed 12 games that season. Instead, the Cowboys trotted out Sterling Moore opposite Brandon Carr, a solution that wasn’t a solution moving forward. The Cowboys acted on the need and selected Connecticut corner Byron Jones in the first round of 2015.

And now, just eight seasons later, Byron Jones seemed to be calling it a career. Jones missed all of the 2022 season due to injury, and though he didn’t officially use the word retire, he spoke in the past tense in regards to his playing career in giving a stern warning to the incoming 2023 draft class. But that’s not all she wrote.

CB Byron Jones seemingly retires from the NFL and alleges multiple injuries from playing days

These are startling claims coming from Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones made a startling confession on Saturday as he seemingly retired from the NFL.

In a couple of tweets, Jones appeared to call it quits on his playing career all while indicating that his days in the league have left him with some long-term physical limitations.

“Much has changed in 8 years,” Jones wrote on Twitter, quote-tweeting an NFL graphic from 2015 that complimented his NFL combine performance. “Today I can’t run or jump because of my injuries sustained playing this game. DO NOT take the pills they give you. DO NOT take the injections they give you. If you absolutely must, consult an outside doctor to learn the long-term implications.”

In spring 2020, Miami signed Jones as a free agent out of Dallas making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

After a career marked by durability, Jones missed the 2022 season with an Achilles injury. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier indicted in January that there had been no decisions made on the cornerback’s future.

Jones now seems to be setting his playing days behind him and putting the league on blast as he exits.

“It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee,” Jones continued on Twitter. “In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities. Godspeed to the draft class of 2023.”

The NFL has had to reckon with the damaging effects of its game in recent months. One of the game’s true defensive stars, Jones seems to be retiring at 30 with alleged physical impairments caused by his playing days.

After the controversy surrounding Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion scares last October and the terrifying injury that sent Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin into cardiac arrest in January, Jones’ somber retirement would be another reminder of football’s innate risks.

More information will likely come of Jones’ seeming decision in the days to come, but will the future of football be altered by these health-related controversies? Time will tell.

Byron Jones issues cautionary tweet ahead of NFL scouting combine

Miami Dolphins CB Byron Jones has a cautionary tweet for prospects ahead of the 2023 NFL scouting combine.

The NFL scouting combine is sometimes referred to affectionately as the “Underwear Olympics.”

Draft prospects typically engage in timing that looks more common every Olympiad with bench-pressing, sprinting, and cone shuttles. However, the annual scouting and evaluation event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis provides NFL teams with the chance to get their hands on prospects for the upcoming draft.

Much like the actual Olympics, the NFL has its own combine records. On the league’s official Twitter account Feb. 24, the NFL contextualized former Dallas Cowboys 2015 first-round pick Byron Jones’ broad jump record of 11 feet, six inches with parking two 2015 Mini Cooper’s side by side.

The former UConn defensive back quote-tweeted the stupendous graphic with some context of his own.

“Much has changed in 8 years,” Jones wrote. “Today I can’t run or jump because of my injuries sustained playing this game. DO NOT take the pills they give you. DO NOT take the injections they give you. If you absolutely must, consult an outside doctor to learn the long-term implications.”

Jones, who signed a five-year, $82 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in 2020, did not play for the AFC East club in 2022 as he was never activated from the physically unable to perform list. Jones had Achilles surgery in the offseason and was never able to pass a physical to return to the Dolphins.

The tweet from Jones also casts doubt as to his future playing in the NFL ever again. The former 2018 Pro Bowler had four interceptions, 444 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, and 57 pass breakups through 109 career games for both Dallas and Miami, 103 of which he started.

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Dolphins CB Byron Jones says he can’t run or jump due to injuries

He calls for players to be cautious.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones didn’t step on the field for a single snap at practice or in a game during the 2022 season due to offseason Achilles surgery.

On Saturday, for the first time since that surgery, Jones took to social media to talk about his injury while reflecting upon his NFL combine broad jump record. The cornerback says that he can’t run or jump because of the injuries that he sustained over the last eight years, and he urges players to be cautious when it comes to the medical solutions that teams offer to get players back on the field.

It’s unclear if this is a segue into retirement or not, but a struggle with running and jumping would make it significantly more difficult for him to compete on the field.

Jones is under contract for two more seasons in Miami, and he currently comes with an $18.4 million cap hit in 2023. Returning from injury, it seemed like a possibility that the Dolphins could move on from the former UConn Husky this offseason, but this makes it seem much more likely.

If Miami were to cut the cornerback with a post-June 1 designation, they could save $13.6 million and only incur $4.75 million in dead cap.

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3 intriguing cornerback options for the Cowboys in free agency

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t going to break the bank in free agency but they may look for a veteran stop-gap to help them in the short-term, says @ReidDHanson.

The Cowboys have a need at the outside cornerback position; a need they’ve been trying to permanently fill for years and a need they’re likely to address again this off-season. While the draft offers the best long-term solutions, free agency may offer something important for the short-term.

If Dallas decides to proactively address the spot with a veteran free agent, options will be out there. Such a move would insure them against an uncooperative draft and/or an underperforming rookie.

A veteran free agent could bridge the position for when homegrown talent develops and keep the Cowboys competitive at one of the game’s most important positions.

While it’s impossible to say with certainty which veterans will be underappreciated enough to fall into a price range that Dallas likes, Spotrac and Pro Football Focus have made some market predictions that could prove useful in this bargain-hunting exercise.

Dolphins have decisions to make on defense in free agency

Re-signing Nik Needham should be a priority.

The Miami Dolphins have had a fine week since the Super Bowl has come and gone. The announcement of Zach Thomas into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week, followed this week by the finality to the Vic Fangio contract signing saga.

Ladies and gentlemen, they officially got him. Again. Officially.

Fangio will be ushered into Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, and his intro will be streamed on the Dolphins website to capture the moment. At this rate, it wouldn’t be shocking if Miami security snuck Fangio in the back entrance almost like that scene in “Goodfellas.”

Now that Fangio is the boss of the defense, as well as consigliere for Mike McDaniel, it’s expected he could attract free agents as well as entice important Dolphins to re-sign with the team.

On the defensive side of the ball, Miami has about a dozen players whose Dolphins’ contracts expired following the close of the 2022 season. A room’s worth of linebackers are all free agents in Andrew Van Ginkel, Duke Riley, Elandon Roberts, Melvin Ingram and Sam Eguavoen. This would be the unit to expect the shopping in the premium aisle of the free agency market.

Fangio is an expert in the linebacker role specifically, so whether it be through free agency or the draft, or even getting the most out of last year’s rookie Channing Tindall, the defensive guru could maximize talent in that area of the field.

As for the front line of interior defensive linemen and edge pass-rushers, Miami has great continuity returning with Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and the hopeful comeback of Emmanuel Ogbah. Re-signed last season, Ogbah was injured nine games into the 2022 season and looks to return in 2023.

Continuity in 2022 was tough for the Miami defensive backfield due to several key injuries which started with the Byron Jones situation, which is a separate story in itself. He didn’t play a snap following surgery on his Achilles last March, and his future in South Florida is up in the air.

Xavien Howard, who was named to the Pro Bowl, didn’t have his best season and was banged up throughout the year, missing two games and was not his vintage self over the course of the season. Though finishing the season strong and helping Miami secure a playoff berth with a Week 18 win against the Jets, Howard looks to build on that momentum heading into 2023.

Safety Brandon Jones was having a solid year prior to getting hurt in the nationally televised Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. Jones is rehabbing his left ACL injury, and his return is important with his pairing to Jevon Holland. The two safeties are an excellent tandem and a pair of players Fangio could work wonders with.

Back to the Byron Jones injury – it opened a door for rookie Kader Kohou to not only step up but make an impact as one of the league’s top undrafted free agents. It’s Kohou’s emergence that helps in dealing with the potential fallout if the veteran and the team part ways, yet there’s a component to this that is extremely important: re-signing free agent cornerback Nik Needham.

Sharing an undrafted free agent story in his own right, Needham is similar to Kohou in that they were both diamonds-in-the-rough finds for Miami. Many know Needham’s story and path by now, and as many hurdles as the young defensive back has faced getting to being one of the NFL’s top slot corners, 2022 saw another obstacle to tackle.

Needham tore his Achilles in Week 6 against the Vikings, and heading into a free agent year, the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for him and of course Miami.

Needham was a restricted free agent at this time last season, and the Dolphins inked him to a one-year deal. Although the Achilles injury is the only issue standing in the way of making this a no-brainer re-sign, Needham is known for his work ethic and for proving naysayers wrong.

Not only is he ahead of schedule, but he’s also now represented by a top-tier agency, Athlete’s First, and he’s been busy working at their facilities in California preparing for the 2023 season. The heavy-hitters will no doubt bring options to the table for Needham, as there was interest in him last season and continued interest heading into this free agency period.

The good news is that Miami has told him that he’s, in fact, in their plans heading into the future. While Needham has said he would love to be a Dolphin, of course, this is the main opportunity he’ll have to cash in on a contract that could be a life set up, financially.

If Needham returns to form, which is a solid bet based on his history and current efforts, Miami would be wise to mix him with Fangio, as the versatile defensive back can be used in a variety of ways. He’s a natural boundary corner, but when asked to assume slot duties, he adapted and excelled. He even was called on for some snaps at safety, and his ability to be used in these ways makes for a potential chess piece and even insurance policy for the new defensive coordinator.

With Needham hopefully back, which, at this point, there’s a very solid chance should Miami simply match any competing potential offer, the core group of him, Howard, Holland, Brandon Jones and Kohou, could be a top-tier unit within a unit. Add in young depth pieces like Trill Williams, also returning from injury, and Verone McKinley III, and Miami could have a deep group.

A handful of teams could make the market competitive for the Dolphins, namely the new home of a former coach in the NFC North, as well as a few teams out west. However, with mutual interest, and the fact that Miami can make good on their initial discovery of Needham and bring things full circle with a multi-year deal, it could be excellent motivation for players entering the team similar to his path.

Re-signing Needham should be a top priority heading into the official start of the 2023 season come March.

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6 cornerbacks Vikings should target after Brian Flores hire

The Vikings’ new defensive scheme will need cornerbacks that can play man coverage. @TheRealForno identified six that they should target

The Minnesota Vikings have themselves a new defensive coordinator in Brian Flores.

With the hire of Flores, the Vikings have committed to another scheme change, as he runs a significantly more aggressive defense than what Ed Donatell brought in with Vic Fangio’s system.

The defense right now is one that needs a lot of work and the biggest need is at cornerback. Flores requires his corners to play a lot of man coverage and that is something that the Vikings will need to prioritize bringing in players that will be better in man coverage.

Here are six cornerbacks that the Vikings should target with projected contract numbers from Over The Cap.