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If waived Patriots cornerback Jack Jones winds up somewhere in the NFL, it only makes sense that place is in Las Vegas, where he can reunite with the one coach who has meant the most to him throughout his football journey: the Raiders’ Antonio Pierce.
Pierce began with the Raiders last season as a linebackers coach, and before that, he had been an associate head coach with Arizona State, from 2018-21. His first head coaching job was at Long Beach Poly High in Long Beach, California. He took that job in 2014, and stayed there until he went to the Sun Devils, where he coached and was the recruiting coordinator for Herm Edwards.
One of Pierce’s players at Long Beach Poly: Jack Jones.
One of Pierce’s players at Arizona State: Jack Jones.
Jones was the No. 16 recruit in the nation, according to The562.org, and originally went to USC out of Long Beach Poly. but academic issues followed by a burglary arrest in the summer of 2018 caused the Trojans to let him go. Pierce paved the way for him to get another chance in Tempe, where seven other of Pierce’s former players were on the team’s defense.
Now that Jones has flamed out in New England, after a promising start to his career, maybe Pierce could arrange another second chance for him, this time with the Raiders. (H/T Silver & Black Pride.)
Jack Jones Could Play for the Raiders
There is no question that Jones can play. Jones was drafted in the fourth round in 2022 out of Arizona State, and probably would have gone higher if not for the history of trouble he’d collected at USC. His NFL.com draft profile read, “As a player, he’s a ball-hawking cornerback with playmaking instincts.”
He played in 13 games for New England as a rookie last season, and recorded two interceptions, including a pick-6 on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 4. He had a 74.7 grade at Pro Football Focus, establishing himself as a solid cornerback going forward. But even then, he struggled with professionalism and was briefly suspended at the end of 2022.
The Patriots entered the 2023 season expected to have one of the better secondaries in the NFL, in part because of their depth, and Jones was to be a key there.
But in the offseason, Jones was arrested at Boston’s Logan Airport with two loaded guns. Jones agreed to a plea deal in August, when prosecutors agreed to drop the charges against Jones—nine altogether—in exchange for Jones agreeing to one year of probation and 48 hours of community service.
When Jones did rejoin the Patriots, concerns about his attitude and professionalism continued to plague him. He also underperformed–his PFF grade dropped to an unsightly 46.4.
Jones was benched for the Week 9 game against Washington for missing curfew, and was benched again on Sunday against the Colts in Germany. He was seen pouting on the sideline. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, that prompted the Patriots to send him packing.
“Patriots CB Jack Jones was given an opportunity to improve his attitude this week in Germany and didn’t, per source. As a result, he was waived,” Kyed wrote.
Patriots CB Jack Jones was given an opportunity to improve his attitude this week in Germany and didn’t, per source. As a result, he was waived.
Raiders Need Depth in the Secondary
Perhaps all Jones needs to get back on track is to be reunited with Antonio Pierce in a Raiders uniform. It worked at Arizona State. In 2020, The Athletic reported that Jones had gone from struggling to maintain grades to making the honor roll.
Pierce, writer Doug Haller noted, had known Jack Jones since he was 13. “Pierce knows nearly everything there is to know about Jones, the good and the bad. Nothing, however, impressed him more than what Jones recently pulled off.
“‘Yeah,’ said Pierce, ASU’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, ‘that little sucker made the Dean’s List.’”
The Raiders would not need Jones to make the Dean’s List. They’d just need him to provide some depth behind Nate Hobbs and Marcus Peters.
Something else from 2020 stands out. Speaking about Jack Jones, Pierce said, “He needs to be loved, he needs to be guided. He needs guys around him. He needs the support staff academically. You put the pieces in place in front of him and he’ll get it accomplished.”
He did not have that in New England. Could he get it with Pierce in Las Vegas?
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Raiders Coach Could Use Deep Ties to Lure ‘Ball-Hawking’ Ex-Patriot