Philadelphia Eagles: Josh Jones is a perfect trade target
With a still present need in the back end of the secondary, the Philadelphia Eagles should consider trading for unhappy Green Bay Packers safety Josh Jones.
After an OTA standoff, the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary received some much-needed reinforcements when Malcolm Jenkins officially returned to the NovaCare Center, but that doesn’t mean the team’s secondary is suddenly fixed.
Far from it, in fact.
With Rodney McLeod still not practicing after undergoing surgery to repair a torn MCL, and the team’s next best reserve currently being Andrew Sendejo, a 31-year-year old former Viking who also finished out the 2018 season on injured reserve, the Eagles are an injury away from being in dire straights yet again at the tail end of their secondary, a nightmare scenario after last season’s deep safety struggles.
More from Philadelphia Eagles
- 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
- 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
- Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
- Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles
Sure, the team still has Avonte Maddox under contract through 2021, but if his performances down the stretch in 2018 are of any indication, he’s probably better suited for a role at cornerback – be that in the slot, or as a matchup piece on the outside.
No, if the Eagles want to lay to rest their secondary issues once and for all, they should probably invest a real asset in a legitimate safety; bonus points if they’re young and can grow into a more pronounced role once the McLeod-Jenkins-era comes to an end.
That player could and should be Josh Jones.
A three-year contributor at NC State, Jones blew up at the 2017 NFL Combine by recording a 4.41 40, a 37.5-inch verticle, 132-inch broad jump, and hitting 20 reps on the bench. Though some questioned how well he would transition into the league because he lacked the prototypical traits of a free, strong, or box safety, but that clearly didn’t stop the Green Bay Packers‘ front office from selecting the 6-foot-2, 220 pound Chicago native 61st overall, making him the eighth safety taken in the surprisingly secondary focused 2017 NFL Draft.
And now he’s unhappy.
After starting in the better part of two seasons sliding in and out of the Packers’ defensive starting lineup, the team took their first steps towards solidifying their secondary of the future; drafting Darnell Savage out of Maryland 21st overall, and signing former Chicago Bears safety Adrian Amos to a four-year, $36 million contract.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Jones wouldn’t still have a role with the Packers in 2019, but it does show that he’s not a priority with the team moving forward, and may need to find a new home with a more defined path to a long-term contract.
Though the Eagles don’t have an immediate need right away at safety, their top-3 safeties are all over 28 (average age? 30), and two of them are entering the final years of their contracts. Factor in Jenkins’ contract situation and the Eagles’ are facing a very unstable future at deep center field.
Will it come easy? No, probably not, as the Packers now appear less than eager to trade their disgruntled safety, but if history is of any indication, Howie Roseman can usually find a way to get players who are what Philly is all about both on and off the field, and could effectively flip a future asset (maybe a compensatory draft selection) to add a player like Jones who’s a pretty perfect fit in Jim Schwartz‘s scheme.
While Jones doesn’t have a history at cornerback like Jenkins or McLeod, or even 2019 free agent (re)acquisition Blake Countess, he is insanely athletic and could be an absolute force as a disruptive, hammer-dropping deep free safety. Jones could also be a solid upgrade to the Eagles’ special teams unit, as he played 169 snaps for the Packers on coverage units (35 percent) in addition to his 501 on the defensive side of the ball (47 percent).
Really, the only thing Jones isn’t particularly good at is dropping into coverage as a quasi-cornerback, but if the Eagles use him correctly – as a big nickel safety and dime linebacker – there’s great value to be found in having the former Wolfpack safety on the team’s roster.
Next. 3 trade targets Eagles should consider from Rams in 2019 before training camp. dark
Ultimately, how the Philadelphia Eagles decide to address their defensive secondary over the forthcoming weeks will be very telling as to their long-term prospects for the 2019 season, but if they ultimately do decide they need an ascending, young safety who could grow into a bigger role moving forward, there aren’t a lot of players available right now who are better than Josh Jones.