Getty The Eagles are reportedly working out former first-round draft pick Datone Jones to help fill a need at defensive tackle.
The Eagles aren’t going the blockbuster route to upgrade their roster. Instead, they are taking a more methodical approach.
Philadelphia has reportedly brought in defensive tackle Datone Jones for a workout at the team’s complex in South Philadelphia. Jones, a former first-round draft pick of Green Bay in 2013, played in 59 games for the Packers before hitting the road in free agency. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder then bounced around between the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. The move was first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Datone Jones Made Impression on Eagles in Preseason
Datone Jones spent training camp and preseason with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he saw action against the Eagles. He delivered a rather memorable (or maybe forgettable) bone-crunching hit on Cody Kessler and sent the quarterback into the concussion protocol. The highlight-reel play expedited Kessler’s exit in Philadelphia as the team replaced him with veteran backup Josh McCown.
Datone Jones (Jaguars) destroyed Cody Kessler (Eagles) here.
Kessler had to come out and is in concussion protocol.
Jones enjoyed a successful start to his NFL career after registering eight sacks and 58 tackles in his first three seasons while proving stout versus the run. However, the 29-year-old has only tallied two sacks and 37 tackles since 2015.
Scouting Report on Former Defensive End from UCLA
The scouting report on Datone Jones gave him a reputation as a player who thrived on violent collisions, as evidenced by his hit on Cody Kessler. The knock on him has always been that he wasn’t suited to be an edge rusher in the NFL, hence the Packers moving the UCLA product over to more of a hybrid linebacker-end in their 3-4 defense. Jones was later switched to a defensive tackle in other stops.
Jones was the 26th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. Here is a snippet of a scouting report on Jones, via Bleacher Report:
Jones is a massive, strong defensive end who fires off of the snap into violent collisions with offensive linemen that he usually wins by staying low and hitting hard. He often knifes into the backfield to disrupt running plays and can change direction in the open field much better than his size would suggest he could. Jones’ motor runs hot, and he can make plays with perseverance when his initial attack fails. He is a handful for any blocker and often draws holds with the endless fight in his game.
The Eagles have already lost two key contributors on their defensive line this season, with Malik Jackson out for the year and Tim Jernigan gone since Week 2. They currently have only three healthy defensive tackles on the roster in Fletcher Cox, Anthony Rush and Albert Huggins.
Remember, the team lost Hassan Ridgeway Sunday night in Dallas to an ankle injury deemed to be “serious” by head coach Doug Pederson. Rush and Huggins were just added to the rotation Tuesday evening to provide depth.
Roster Move: #Eagles have agreed to sign DT Albert Huggins from Houston’s practice squad.
Rush came over from the Oakland Raiders practice squad, while Huggins was stolen from the Houston Texans practice squad. Both players are considered projects, with high ceilings. But they lack a ton of experience.
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