Philadelphia Eagles: Predicting which cornerbacks stay or go in 2020
By Hunter Doyle
Sidney Jones: Stay
After some late-season heroics in 2019, Sidney Jones has earned himself one more chance to prove himself worthy in Philadelphia during the 2020 season.
Last year at times, Eagles fans saw a glimpse of the guy we dreamed Jones would be when Philadelphia drafted him in the second round of the 2017 draft.
From witnessing the swat on 3rd and 4 towards the end of the Week 14 ‘do or die’ battle with the New York Giants to deflecting a key pass in the Week 16 duel with the Dallas Cowboys, Jones came up big on numerous occasions towards the end of last season.
Last but certainly not least, we can’t forget the interception and three passes defended in the Week 17 win over the Giants to help clinch the NFC East after earning the start due to injures at the cornerback position.
These first three years have been a roller coaster for Jones, to say the least. After Jones was previously projected to be a first-round pick in 2017, he unfortunately suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the final drill of his pro day.
Despite the injury, the Eagles still took a chance on Jones in the second round with their minds focused on the long run, and his rookie season only included action in a meaningless Week 17 game.
In 2018, Jones started training camp at the nickel spot, but only played in nine games due to a hamstring issue. He quickly became an afterthought of many fans with the emergence of young players like Maddox and LeBlanc.
Jones eventually fell to the back of the depth chart in 2019, but his re-emergence reminded us all why the Eagles gave him a shot back in 2017.
While Jones has been inconsistent and has struggled to stay on the field, Roseman should still give him one more chance. He will not have the pressure of being a starter and if the end of last year was just a fluke, Roseman can let him walk in free agency next offseason.
The preseason is not just an opportunity for Jones to earn his roster spot, but also to show other teams if he has any value in a trade or free agency.
New defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel might also be a big help to Jones, and already has three years of experience in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s scheme.
Keeping Jones for one more year is a low-risk, high-reward situation for Philadelphia entering the 2020 season.
At the least, Jones has shown that he has the potential to be a capable backup and has some experience as a starter.
For all the Eagles know, if Jones stays healthy, he might just surprise everyone and jump into the starting lineup some point during the regular season.