|
|||||||||
Safety Sean Jones in for a visit
Could Sean Jones be the veteran signed to create competition for the free safety spot come September? Looks like the Birds are interested as Jones is scheduled to visit NovaCare tomorrow with a press conference to follow.
Jones is an intriguing guy. A second round pick out of Georgia, Jones has picked off 14 passes in the three seasons with the Cleveland Browns. However, according to scouts, coverage isn't his strongest suit. Jones has played primarily as a strong safety in the NFL but has experience at free safety from his Georgia days.
Jones's scouting report from this year's Pro Football Prospectus:
Sean Jones was one of the busiest safeties in the league according to our game charters, participating in 106 plays, but don't let his five interceptions fool you - he wasn't that effective in coverage. Where Jones excels is down in the box, and he proved it with game-clinching fourth down stops in back to back weeks against the Rams and the Seahawks.
Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated selected Sean Jones as an All Pro in 2006. A knee issue last year almost cost Jones his starting job, which probably is a primary reason he remains unsigned at this point.
Stay tuned.
Interesting option, he seems like a Michael Lewis type. If Mikell and Demps can handle the FS spot I think he could be a good addition, he's big and seems like a "play maker" plus, hopefully, he's got a chip on his shoulder and wants to show he's recoovered from the injury and deserves to start in the leaugue.
Yeah, that's exactly how he sounds - Mike Lewis type. I'm just worried about having two safeties that lack cover skills. I guess that's what we had this past year though.
The Birds are lucky b/c they have one of the top group of CBs in the league and a young fast group of LBs, that takes a lot of pressure off the saftery for coverage. I don't see Dawkins as a huge loss on the field; the true loss will be the locker room if the leadership void isn't filled. That's not to say I'm not a huge Dawkins fan and I wish he was here, it's just an objective take on the situation.