Don’t buy a ticket to the Sidney Jones hype train in 2017 just yet
By Matt Giraldi
The Philadelphia Eagles have added Sidney Jones to the active roster. That’s about all the excitement you can expect for this season however.
When the Philadelphia Eagles scooped up Sidney Jones in the second round of the NFL Draft, many scouts viewed it as a steal. Talent-wise, Jones was arguably the best cornerback prospect of the draft. Following an Achilles injury suffered during Washington‘s Pro Day, Jones tumbled down the draft boards. In the final week of the regular season, the Eagles finally will get their first look at the rookie.
Unfortunately, that’s where this hype train needs to derail itself. It has been exactly one year since Jones played a game of competitive football. The closest thing Jones saw to an NFL game was also a year ago, when Washington lost to Alabama in the Peach Bowl. Going against a Dallas Cowboys team that is out of postseason contention doesn’t mean a talent discrepancy suddenly exists either.
Perhaps the best hope for this afternoon is that Jones can get matched up one-on-one with Dez Bryant at some point. Whether or not he would succeed, getting Jones up against elite competition aids the coaching staff in determining Jones’ role in January (and hopefully February). After all, what do the Eagles have to lose? Jones is an exceptional press corner and can play the ball well. He’s also got a lot to learn.
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Jones is also up against a lot of competition for snaps. Even if Jones emerges from today’s game perfectly healthy, how much does he play in two weeks? Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby are going to play close to 100% of the snaps. Patrick Robinson has emerged as one of the best nickle corners in the NFL.
Of the teams that are currently in the playoffs in the NFC, only the Los Angeles Rams run three or more wide receiver sets 66% or more of the time. What this means is fewer opportunities for Jones to contribute over the guys that got the Eagles there. Having Jones’ talent available is a blessing for Jim Schwartz. The inherent problem is: Who sees the bench for Jones?
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It’s a great story that Jones is going to be active this week. Additional depth in the postseason is crucial against offenses that feature players such as Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods or Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. For the Eagles however, they’ve been able to handle opposing passing attacks just fine without Jones. Unless the rookie can distinguish himself as one of the top three corners on this team in a limited fashion, he’s going to be on the outside looking in.
The Eagles secondary is in great shape heading into the playoffs. Having Jones here is a good thing regardless of how he plays and how much he plays. Having said that, expecting anything meaningful out of Jones in the playoffs is for the birds. Fortunately for the Eagles and their fans, that’s not an indictment against Jones. It’s high praise for a secondary that has been among the best in the NFL this season.