The Jacksonville Jaguars continued the trend of bringing back players from their 2020 secondary Friday by retaining safety Josh Jones. Per his agent Drew Rosenhaus, the veteran agreed to a one-year deal with the team, which gives them safety depth heading into the regular season.
UFA safety Josh Jones is signing back with the Jaguars on a one-year deal, per @DrewJRosenhaus.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2021
Jones, 26, joined the Jags in December of 2019 after he was claimed off waivers. Before his time with them, he spent time with the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him 61st overall in 2017, and the Dallas Cowboys (2019).
With him having a good showing in training camp and Ronnie Harrison being traded to the Cleveland Browns, Jones ended up starting Weeks 1-8 before going on injured reserve for three weeks. However, he returned Week 12 and resumed starting for the rest of the season.
Jones started the season opener off with a bang against the Indianapolis Colts, garnering a Pro Football Focus grade of 70.3 grade while also leading the team in tackles that week (12). However, beyond that week he struggled mightily, finishing the season with a 39.2 grade in coverage, a 59.9 grade as a run defender, and a 43.9 overall grade. Statistically, he ended the season with 80 total tackles and a pick.
When considering Jones’ struggles on defense, this move could be more so to add a solid tackler to the special teams unit. As we’ve mentioned, the group is one Urban Meyer puts a lot into, and filling it with veteran players certainly doesn’t hurt.
