Tag: D.J. Jones

UNC running back D.J. Jones leaving crowded RB room for secondary

D.J. Jones, who started at running back in the UNC football team’s 2022 opener, will now join the defensive unit this Fall.

If there is one roster spot UNC is far from a shortage in players, it’s the running back room.

The Heels have eight running backs listed on the official 2023 roster. Four of those eight enjoyed 100-yard seasons last year, led by 558 from Elijah Green.

UNC will be without D.J. Jones – one of those 100-yard rushers – in the halfback department.

Jones isn’t off the team – he’s instead making a position switch. Last week, Inside Carolina reported that Jones is making the switch to defensive back.

This will be an entirely different ballgame for Jones, who never played defense growing up. He likely wouldn’t be getting many carries and wanted to stay at UNC, so he approached head coach Mack Brown in January about the position switch.

“I feel like I could do more for the team than what I was doing last year,” Jones told 247Sports’ Jeremiah Holloway on Thursday. “I feel like I can do that at any other position than what they had me doing last year. I just told Mack that if there’s any other place that he could see me playing, that I would do that for the team.”

The Heels have enjoyed some success from position switching in the past, most recently with now-linebacker Chazz Surratt, who came to Chapel Hill as a record-breaking quarterback from East Lincoln High School.

Surratt was UNC’s starting quarterback for seven games in 2017, then played just one game at QB the following year. He switched to linebacker in 2019 – earning a First Team All-ACC selection. In 2020, his final college season, Surratt was a Butkus Award (top linebacker in college football) semifinalist.

Surratt is now a linebacker with the New York Jets. He’ll look to find his way into a crowded linebacking corps that includes Quincy Williams and former Alabama star C.J. Mosley.

In Chapel Hill, Jones will be trying to help a Carolina defense that, among FBS teams, allowed the sixth-most yards to opponents (5.697).

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2023 UNC Football Preview: Running Back

We preview the UNC football team’s 2023 running back room in this story. The Heels have five backs with collegiate starting experience.

The University of North Carolina football back is making a strong case for the title of “Running Back U.”

In the Tar Heels’ football history, there have been 31 instances where a player’s hit the 1,000-yard mark.

Four of those seasons have come since 2019 – Michael Carter ran for 1,003 yards in 2019, Carter (1,245) and Javonte Williams (1,140) each hit the 1,000-yard mark in 2020, while current Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler last accomplished the feat with 1,092 yards in 2021.

Despite all the on-field success the Tar Heels found last year, including a 9-1 start and their first trip to the ACC Championship since 2015, their ground game struggled with finding an identity.

Quarterback Drake Maye, in his first season starting, led Carolina with 698 rushing yards and finished second with seven touchdowns. Maye can easily beat any defense with his arm, but when the offensive line broke down, he used his lightning speed and quick change of direction to make those in pursuit look silly.

UNC had plenty of talent in its running back room last year. Elijah Green emerged as the group’s leader with 558 rushing yards and a team-high eight touchdowns. Omarion Hampton gained 401 yards and added five scores. Caleb Hood, who missed half the season with injury, finished with 250 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carry (most among running backs). D.J. Jones, entering his graduate year, added 124 yards and a score, while George Pettaway rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

All of those guys return for Carolina this year. Let’s take a deeper dive into the running back room and see what each guy brings to the table:

Broncos injuries: D.J. Jones enters concussion protocol

Broncos nose tackle D.J. Jones will have to go through five stages of the NFL’s concussion protocol before returning to game action.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton played the team’s starters in their preseason opener on Friday evening. Playing starters for at least a portion of preseason to get reps before the regular season seems to be the conventional strategy for most NFL teams. It comes with risks, though.

The biggest risk to playing starters in preseason is the risk of injuries. The Broncos lost starting nose tackle D.J. Jones to a concussion in the first quarter of Friday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Jones, 28, will now enter the NFL’s concussion protocol. Jones will have to pass through four stages of recovery in the protocol before being cleared to play again. Because every concussion is different and recovery times vary, Jones won’t have an exact timeline for his potential return to the field.

The No. 2 nose tackle on the team’s depth chart would be veteran Mike Purcell, but he is currently on the non-football injury list after undergoing surgery this offseason. That leaves Tyler Lancaster as the fill-in nose tackle until one of Jones or Purcell returns to the field.

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Broncos position preview for 2023: Defensive line

The Broncos need a defensive end to step up and start across from Zach Allen in 2023. Who will it be?

Going into the summer, the Denver Broncos have 11 defensive linemen on the 90-man offseason roster: D.J. Jones, Mike Purcell, Zach Allen, Matt Henningsen, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Lancaster, Jonathan Harris, Elijah Garcia, Jordan Jackson, PJ Mustipher and Haggai Ndubuisi.

Jones and Purcell are returning as the team’s top two nose tackles while Henningsen and Uwazurike are among the club’s defensive end options. The Broncos just signed Allen and Lancaster during free agency this offseason.

Denver carried six defensive linemen — four ends and two tackles — on its initial 53-man roster last summer. The Broncos will likely carry a similar number in 2023.

Broncos’ (Projected) Defensive Line Depth Chart

Broncos offseason roster: No. 93, DL D.J. Jones

D.J. Jones knocked down six passes and totaled 34 tackles and two sacks in his first season with the Broncos. He’ll aim for more in 2023.

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Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at seventh-year defensive lineman D.J. Jones.

Before the Broncos: Jones (6-0, 305 pounds) was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Ole Miss. He totaled 126 tackles (including 23 behind the line), nine quarterback hits and seven sacks in five years (61 games) with the 49ers to begin his career.

Broncos tenure: Denver signed Jones as a free agent to a three-year, $30 million contract in 2022. In his first season with the Broncos, Jones totaled 34 tackles, six pass breakups, four quarterback hits and two sacks in 15 games last fall. Jones changed his jersey number from 97 to 93 this offseason.

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Jones is a lock to make the team and he’s essentially a lock to start on the defensive line this season. The biggest question is what his primary position will be. Denver can line Jones up either as a defensive end or as a nose tackle in its 3-4 defense.

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Broncos injuries: 2 players recovering from ‘minor’ surgeries

Broncos defensive linemen D.J. Jones and Mike Purcell are recovering from ‘minor’ offseason surgeries, according to 9News.

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Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams (knee) being limited at practice to begin organized team activities is a very positive development for the team.

On the other side of the ball, the news isn’t as good as defensive linemen Mike Purcell and D.J. Jones are both recovering from “minor offseason surgeries,” according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

It’s not clear what surgeries Purcell and Jones had done, but Purcell suffered elbow and ankle injuries last year and Jones had shoulder and knee injuries in 2022.

Elsewhere on the injury front, coach Sean Payton said wide receiver Jerry Jeudy “banged his thigh” at Thursday’s practice and will be fine.

Meanwhile, cornerback Pat Surtain, safety JL Skinner, outside linebackers Christopher Allen and Ray Wilborn and wide receivers Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler worked on the side during Thursday’s practice. Special teams ace Aaron Patrick (recovering from torn ACL) is also sidelined.

Overall, it’s mostly good news on the injury front for Denver. Recovering players seem to be coming along well and the new injuries seem to be mostly minor. The team will hope that trend continues this season.

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Broncos defender D.J. Jones endorses coach candidate DeMeco Ryans

Broncos defensive lineman D.J. Jones endorses DeMeco Ryans for head coach job.

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has endorsed coach candidate Sean Payton, one of the NFL’s best offensive coaches in recent memory.

On the other side of the ball, a Broncos defensive lineman has endorsed one of the brightest up-and-coming defensive coaches in the NFL.

“Since we saying who we want as the head coach, I want Meco!” Denver defender D.J. Jones wrote on his Instagram story last week.

“Meco,” of course, is San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who had an in-person interview with the Broncos last week.

Ryans, 38, is a former Pro Bowl linebacker who is considered a top head coach candidate this offseason. Jones and Denver cornerback K’Waun Williams both played under the coach in San Francisco before signing with the Broncos last year.

Because the 49ers have advanced to the NFC championship game, Ryans will not be available for a second-round interview until next week. So if he is a finalist for the job, Ryans could delay Denver’s head coach search.

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Broncos injuries: Courtland Sutton ruled out for Week 14

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 14.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, coach Nathaniel Hackett announced Friday.

With Sutton unavailable and Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler already on injured reserve, Denver’s top wide receivers against Kansas City will be Jerry Jeudy, Kendall Hinton, Jalen Virgil, Brandon Johnson and Montrell Washington.

Elsewhere on the injury front, tight end/fullback Andrew Beck (hamstring) and linebacker Dakota Allen (hamstring) have also been ruled out.

Meanwhile, defensive lineman D.J. Jones (shoulder), guard Dalton Risner (shoulder/back) and linebacker Justin Strnad (knee) are questionable for Week 14.

If Jones is not cleared to play, the Broncos’ top remaining defensive linemen will be Dre’Mont Jones, DeShawn Williams, Mike Purcell, Matt Henningsen, Jonathan Harris, Eyioma Uwazurike and Elijah Garcia.

Garcia was just signed off the Lois Angeles Rams’ practice squad earlier this week. Denver also has defensive lineman McTelvin Agim available on the practice squad.

Sunday’s game against the Chiefs will begin at 2:05 p.m. MT on CBS (view the TV map here). KC is considered a 9-point favorite on the road.

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Broncos injuries: D.J. Jones will not practice Thursday

Broncos DL D.J. Jones (shoulder) will not practice today, coach Nathaniel Hackett said.

Denver Broncos defensive lineman D.J. Jones has a shoulder injury and will not practice Thursday, coach Nathaniel Hackett announced.

Hackett would not say if Jones is leaning toward playing or not playing, stating instead that the team is still evaluating the defensive lineman’s injury.

Hackett did say on Wednesday that it’s “not looking good” for wide receiver Courtland Sutton (hamstring) to be able to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Broncos linebacker Dakota Allen and tight end/fullback Andrew Beck are also battling hamstring injuries.

Denver’s complete Thursday injury report can be seen below.

The Broncos will practice again on Thursday and Friday before releasing a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday.

Broncos buzz: Denver signed defensive lineman Elijah Garcia off the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad on Wednesday. Denver also re-signed offensive lineman Quinn Bailey to the practice squad.

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Three Tar Heels return to practice ahead of showdown vs. Pitt

The UNC football program could get a boost with three players returning to practice this week.

The UNC football program could get some reinforcements for Saturday’s showdown with Pitt, fresh off the bye week.

Head coach Mack Brown met the media on Monday to talk about the bye week and the week ahead for the program. In the presser, Brown revealed that offensive lineman [autotag]William Barnes[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Don Chapman[/autotag] and running back [autotag]D.J. Jones[/autotag] will all return to practice this week. That’s a good sign that they will be available for Saturday night’s game in Chapel Hill.

Barnes was a starter on the offensive line before suffering an injury and getting him back for the stretch run will be huge. With Jones, it’s another piece in the backfield for UNC’s run game which has struggled over the past few weeks.

On the defensive side of the ball, Chapman will get some playing time in the secondary. UNC’s defense has been hit or miss this year, showing flashes of being able to turn it around but also giving up big plays.

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