Matt Jones to Jax

[ToughJ.Riggins]

light bulb: Heres a little tidbit to light a light bulb in your head...just kidding.

Matt Jones had three drops last year while leading his team in yards. One of the drops would have been an amazing catch because he was crushed between two players going across the middle, another was on a long bomb that black WRs drop routinely. So Matt Jones really only had one blatant drop last year on a simple down and out. Terrell Owens had as many as 20 drops by some counts last year (I know he had a hurt finger supposedly). Both starting Falcon WRs drop about a pass a game.

Matt Jones deserves a chance he had less than two injury filled seasons while having to deal with QB switches galore and still was the Jags leading receiver last year. He is the best combination of size and speed to ever play in the NFL. He's as fast as Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson but even bigger. Give the guy a shot it was only his second injury filled season and he had 3 drops (only one blatant) not "10-15" like some black players. Also Dennis Northcutt has had a crappy career to this point and I read in a pre-season scouting report that his speed and skills are beginning to fade and Ernest Wilford is the slowest starting WR in the league a 4.78 40 yard. Give Jones a shot!

 

[Rise]

Yahoo sports expecting Matt Jones to be traded or released in the offseason

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/7197/news

 

[backrow]

a snippet from rotoworld.com:

"Matt Jones caught one pass for a 37 yard touchdown in Week 16.

He also had one go right through his hands while showing his usual nonchalance. The touchdown came on a long lob where Jones simply reached over the defender and plucked the ball out of the air."

 

[lochrannoch3740]

I have a funny/bad feeling MJ is going to "do a Camarillo" late in a playoff game versus the Colts to win it for the Jaguars, only to disappear and never be seen again.

 

[Don Wassall]

With the "out of nowhere" success stories of Mike Furrey and Wes Welker the past two seasons, will an NFL team take on Matt Jones as a "reclamation project," or will he simply disappear into the league's Memory Hole along with so many other very talented white receivers?Jones could and should just be entering his prime years, but in a league that doesn't even giveBiletnikoff Award winners an opportunity when they're white. . .

 

[backrow]

i am pretty sure he will stick around. he has 3 Tds and 200 yards receiving in severely limited PT

 

[Thrashen]

"i am pretty sure he will stick around. he has 3 Tds and 200 yards receiving in severely limited PT"

I dont know about that, backrow. Del Rio and the rest of the organization seriously hate Jones. Obviously, we've all heard the "lathargic," "lazy," "bad body language" and "slow" comments that have been made about him 10,000 times by the media AND HIS COACH! Maybe the reason he posseses all those qualities is because he NEVER gets to play (over loser WR's).

I'm almost positive they'll finally let him out of that hell-hole in Jacksonville this coming off-season. I acutally think he'd do well with the Chargers next year.

We can only hope that one day he'll prove everybody wrong...

 

[Don Wassall]

Jones possessed all those qualities the Jaguars hate when he was with Arkansas! He's a very laid back personality who's never going to be screaming like a Zulu or doing pelvic thrusts and gorilla stances on the field after a good play. And because of his long strides he's never going to look as fast running as Dennis Northcutt even though he's faster than Northcutt and just about everyone else in the NFL. But that doesn't mean he can't bea great football player. Del Rio and the black brotherhood at Jax want to make Jones into something he's not personality-wise instead of just letting him play, not that he has much of a chance under any circumstancesplaying forthe NFL's model Caste organization.

 

[backrow]

"i am pretty sure he will stick around. he has 3 Tds and 200 yards receiving in severely limited PT"

I dont know about that, backrow. Del Rio and the rest of the organization seriously hate Jones. Obviously, we've all heard the "lathargic," "lazy," "bad body language" and "slow" comments that have been made about him 10,000 times by the media AND HIS COACH! Maybe the reason he posseses all those qualities is because he NEVER gets to play (over loser WR's).

I'm almost positive they'll finally let him out of that hell-hole in Jacksonville this coming off-season. I acutally think he'd do well with the Chargers next year.

We can only hope that one day he'll prove everybody wrong...

oh no doubt it won't be in Jax. i meant that he will stay in the league.

 

[Don Wassall]

From sportingnews.com:


Members of the Jaguars' offensive staff want to cut the cord with WR Matt Jones, a move head coach Jack Del Rio has resisted since last season. However, Del Rio is finding it increasingly difficult to defend Jones. The offensive staff has gained Del Rio's respect, mostly because of the team's resurgent 2007 season. While Del Rio has held out hope for improvement from Jones, he's close to giving in to his staff's wishes.


If Black Jack has been Jones' biggest defender among the coaching staff, Matt's been getting screwed even worse than we imagined.

 

[backrow]

he showed plenty of promise at the end of the season and in playoffs, i don't get it... i want him to get away from Jax anyhow, pretty much any other team will use him better than they did.

 

[Thrashen]

"i want him to get away from Jax anyhow, pretty much any other team will use him"

Yeah, well said. Maybe the only team with a more pathetic pass offense may be the Ravens, Vikings, Titans, or Bears.

Knowing how much the NFL loves to "trap" astounding white talent on crappy passing teams, he'll probably end up with Tavarous Jackson at QB....and get blamed for Jackson's horrible performances each week

. My god, the NFL is such a phony peice of sh*t league I cant stand it much longer.Edited by: Thrashen

 

[devans]

I just wanted to deal with this Matt Jones is a bust talk that you occasionally hear from some morons.

If you compare Matt with the three WR's drafted BEFORE him in round one in 2005. Braylon Edwards 3rd, Troy Williamson 7th, and Mike Williams 10th, (Matt Jones 21st), despite being basically benched in 2007 for being his record stands up well by comparison.

101 receptions 1,392 yards, 13.8 yard average.

He has accomplished this whilst actually only starting five games in those three years, and being in the Del Rio doghouse for the whole of last year.

Braylon Edwards has out-performed him with 173 receptions but that is after starting for 38 games - not 5. At lets face it he was the third overall pick that year.

Troy Williamson has bagged just 79 receptions at an average of 13.5 whilst getting the nod as starter on 42 occasions. Not even close to being as good as Matt.

And of course we all know Mike Williams is bust. Just because you outperform Mike Williams doesn't mean you are not a bust. But for the record here are his stats - 44 grabs at an average of 12.2 yards after starting 7 games.

Matt has performed well on a running team with bad Quarterbacks with limited opportunities. I hope he goes somewhere that will give him a chance to play.

 

[Thrashen]

What's the latest news on Matt Jones? They signed overrated and underproductive Jerry Porter and traded for the flat-out-terrible Troy Williamson. However, I've heard no news other than that Jacksonville will probably re-sign Jones for another season. This would be heartbreaking for obvious reasons. I'd love to see Matt play almost ANYWHERE else in the NFL...

 

[reclaimsocal]

Matt Jones is under contract, so they don't need to re-sign him. At this point I think its safe to say that Jones is the #5 WR on Jacksonville's depth chart (even though he is probably the #1 in actual performance). I doubt they keep him around in that capacity, as its usually a spot you would keep a guy who returns kicks or plays a lot of special teams coverage. They basically have 2 options, they can trade him or waive him. My guess is that they try to trade him up until the beginning of camp, then cut him loose in August if they can't find any takers. Either way there is not much of a chance he doesn't end up on another teams roster next season.

 

[jaxvid]

Matt Jones is under contract, so they don't need to re-sign him.  At this point I think its safe to say that Jones is the #5 WR on Jacksonville's depth chart (even though he is probably the #1 in actual performance).  I doubt they keep him around in that capacity, as its usually a spot you would keep a guy who returns kicks or plays a lot of special teams coverage.  They basically have 2 options, they can trade him or waive him.  My guess is that they try to trade him up until the beginning of camp, then cut him loose in August if they can't find any takers.  Either way there is not much of a chance he doesn't end up on another teams roster next season.


 

Agreed, they'll hold on to him until August and then cut him late so it'll be hard for him to find a team. The Jags don't want to be embarrassed by him going somewhere early in camp and playing well. They'd like to see his career end. I doubt they can trade him, what team can trade for a white receiver that has a label as a malingering pass dropper? Hell teams won't go after white receivers that kill themselves every play and catch everything. Signing Jones would be poison for a GM. All Matt has going for him is his first round status which counts for a lot in football even though it don't mean much.

 

[backrow]

here's draftdaddy's take on Matt's situation:

DD.comment: Best thing for both parties involved would be for Jones to be traded or released. Matt still has potential in the right system -- evidenced by his 8 catch, 138 yard effort in the 2007 season finale against Houston. Problem is, the coaching staff seems to dislike him on a personal level and David Garrard doesn't look for him much....One wild theory that we've heard is that Garrard isn't that fond of Jones because Matt was real close friends with and a huge supporter of former Jags quarterback Byron Leftwich. And if media reports are accurate, Leftwich and Garrard liked each other as much as Jerry and Newman did back on the 1990's sitcom Seinfeld.

and an article

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Good find Backrow!

NFL NUGGETS : Are Jones' days numbered in Jacksonville?

Joe West sports@nwarktimes.com

"Matt Jones' NFL career in Jacksonville, Fla., hasn't been all sunshine. In fact, it's been downright gloomy at times for the Razorback quarterback turned Jaguar receiver.

Jacksonville has been tearing up free agency, especially at receiver. The team recently traded for Troy Williamson and signed Jerry Porter to a big contract, putting Jones' future in Jacksonville in doubt.

Jones has reportedly butted heads with Jags head coach Jack Del Rio over Jones'practice habits. Jones wasn't a great practice player at Arkansas, but on game day, he got it done.

When you're making millions of dollars in the NFL, you're expected to show up and work every day, not just on Sunday.

Jones' career at Jacksonville has also been hampered by injury, inconsistency at quarterback and a switch to a run-heavy offense. But the bottom line is he hasn't put up the expected numbers.

In addition to Jones, Porter and Williamson, the Jags' training camp competition at WR could also include former first-rounder Reggie Williams, veteran Dennis Northcutt, as well as John Broussard and Mike Walker, two second-year players who finished last season on injured reserve.

I'd say Porter and Williams are safe, but everyone else is going to have to fight for a roster spot.

Northcutt had a couple of high-profile drops last season, but was one of the team's most reliable pass-catchers. He's also valuable as a return man.

Williamson, who was picked ahead of Jones in the 2005 Draft, was less effective in Minnesota than Jones has been in Jacksonville. Coaches are high on Walker, who was fully recovered by the end of last season.

The best news for Jones is that he played his best football of last season at the end, including a 138-yard effort in the regularseason finale at Houston.

But Jones is definitely on the bubble. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Jags try and move him and his first-round salary before camp opens.

If Jones does depart Jacksonville, here's hoping he lands with a team with a wide-open passing game."
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------


My Take: This is a good article: Both draft daddy and this article explain the situation well. And I like how this article actually mentions the truth that Jones has outperformed Williamson. It is so ridiculous in Jacksonville Jones gets maligned for a few drops, yet Northcutt's hands are nothing special and they bring in proverbial bust Troy Williamson . The double standard is obvious. Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Thrashen]

Yeah, I like how the article actually mentioned that the Jag's QBs have been inconsistent and the passing game has been all but abandoned. Jones will shine the instant he leaves this horridly caste franchise.

I'm thinking his best chance of doing well is actually in the AFC North division. The Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens have especially undersized WRs, and could use his unheard of speed and height combo. I could see him and Kyle Boller (assuming McNair is actually benched) forming a bond on Baltimore. Two first round white "busts" paired together....the media would have a field day.Edited by: Thrashen

 

[Don Wassall]

From ProFootballWeekly.com:
<LI>WR Matt Jones can all but kiss Jacksonville goodbye. That's what one team insider told us regarding the hugely disappointing 2005 first-rounder. The insider said the Jags will likely keep him around for training camp but that he would have to have a lights-out showing in camp to stick on the roster. The offseason acquisitions of Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson have lessened the Jags' need at receiver. </LI>


Why torture him by keeping him through training camp? Trade him or cut him now -- please!

 

[PhillyBirds]

I'd love to see him on the Eagles. We could use a tall (and fast) receiver to be a threat not only in the red zone but in the open field. His height / speed combo is absurd. I'd like to see him race another "big" receiver like T.O., bet he would burn him.

Unfortunately, it'll be a cold day in hell when the Eagles (or any other team) start two white wide receivers.

 

[reclaimsocal]

I would love to have access to all of the Jaguars game tapes for one afternoon to see exactly how Matt Jones has "disappointed". My hypothesis is that he hasn't, rather its been the Jaguars QB's and the conservative play calling meant to protect them that has kept Jones from posting bigger numbers.

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

The Steelers need a talented, tall receiver. They just showed Big Ben the big money, so make him even happier and get him the receiver he wants, too.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

The offseason acquisitions of Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson have lessened the Jags' need at receiver.

Ha ha ha, that statement right there proves there is a caste system. How are Troy "drop way more passes than the maligned Jones" and overrated Jerry Porter an upgrade to Matt Jones? Jones had 2 injury plagued seasons with QB switches galore, before getting benched last year, to learn a new position and was still the Jags leading WR in the 2006-2007 season. MJ is the best combination of size and speed in NFL history and I hope he gets out of Blacksonville to become a star and slap team Africa in the face!Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[C Darwin]

I don't know what to say. I'm just very disappointed.