The Next Nellie?

Posted: April 21st, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on The Next Nellie?

A couple of Aprils ago, we thought the Eagles got a huge steal when they drafted CB Sidney Jones 43rd overall. He was a Top 20 talent that fell after getting injured at his Pro Day. Getting Jones in the second round seemed too good to be true.

So far, the results have been disappointing.

Jones missed all but one game as a rookie. That was expected. Jones played in nine games last year, with only four starts. That was not expected. When he was on the field, there were mixed results.

I think too many people see Jones as a bust. He struggled in the Dallas game and got lit up by Amani Cooper. Jones couldn’t run so it isn’t exactly fair to judge him on that. If anything, give the guy points for wanting to be on the field and wanting to compete. The coaches should have seen he couldn’t run and gotten him out of there. They did eventually, but not soon enough.

What do the Eagles think of Jones?

You wouldn’t expect the coaches or front office to openly rip Jones, but they could have danced around the subject if they wanted to. Instead, they seem to think Jones will still turn into a good player.

Their actions are a bit different. The Eagles re-signed Ronald Darby and that gives the team a lot of bodies at CB. Will they have Jones battle for an outside job or will they have him battle Cre’Von LeBlanc for the nickel role? That remains to be seen.

While Jones hasn’t played at a high level yet, it is too early to give up on him. Nelson Agholor was healthy in 2015 and 2016 and still found his way to rock bottom. In his third year, Agholor woke up and started playing well. He was a changed man.

Jones could still have a bright future in the NFL. He can learn from the struggles of Agholor and Brandon Graham. You can be a high pick and still take time to develop, due to injuries or other factors.

We don’t know if Jones will ever pan out or not, but this wasn’t a reach or dumb pick by the Eagles. Jones was a terrific cover corner in college. No one questioned his talent. You could argue whether he should have gone at 10 or 15 or 20, but he was going to be a first round pick.

The injury happened and changed things in a hurry. Unfortunately, Jones hasn’t been the same since.

That could change this year, but nothing is guaranteed. Some players who get off to a slow start never overcome that and they don’t get better.

Jones has shown us some flashes of ability. It isn’t enough for people to get excited about him, but it is enough to make the coaches and front office think Jones can still be the guy they expected when they spent a high second round pick on him.

Here are some interesting thoughts on Jones from a Giants blogger. Pretty good stuff.

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