Getty Christian Jones runs around before a 2020 Lions game.
It’s always difficult for a team to cut key players, but it’s fun to monitor what those players do and say following the unfortunate news that they will be moving on from a city they’ve known.
For the most part, players are always grateful and say the right things. For the Detroit Lions, linebacker Christian Jones was extra classy and insightful on his way out after three years in the Motor City.
Jones was released from the team on Monday, and took to Instagram soon after to share his thoughts and say what an honor it was to play in Detroit for the last few seasons. As he said, while he might be ready for a new challenge, he will never forget
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Here’s what he wrote:
While Jones’ up and down play was what got him in trouble as far as the roster, there was no question he was a great leader on the field and someone who could be trusted in the locker room to garner respect. Jones was routinely mentioned as one of the best leaders on the team, and this will only prove that point more as he makes his exit from the team.
Christian Jones Stats
Jones came to Detroit two offseasons ago from the Chicago Bears where he excelled to start his career. Since joining the Lions, the team has to feel as if Jones needed to do a bit more to justify his contract. Jones has a total of 177 tackles, but only 7 tackles for-loss and 3 sacks in his Detroit career. That’s not exactly what the Lions were banking on from a production standpoint when they signed him early on in free agency a few years back.
As a whole, Jones has a total of 421 tackles, 7 sacks and 16 passes defended in his career. He’s regarded as one of the better leaders in the Detroit locker room, but with a new staff and front office coming into the mix, that won’t save Jones at this point in time given his play and cap number. Even such, it’s tough not to love how classy he was with this note.
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Lions Revealed Release of Christian Jones
Officially, the team got the offseason going with a pair of modest moves. The Lions revealed they had cut linebacker Christian Jones and offensive lineman Russell Bodine from the roster while re-signing cornerback Mike Ford.
Ford was a quality depth player for the Lions, so adding him to fortify the defensive backfield makes sense given the depth that group could lose in the coming weeks. Bodine seemed like a spare piece for the Lions and their offensive front.
#Lions have re-signed DB Mike Ford.
In addition, the team announced that they have released C Russell Bodine and LB Christian Jones.
Cutting Jones will only save the Lions about $2.5 million against the cap for the 2021 season thanks to the fact that he will count for around $2.2 million in dead money, but it was a move that the team had to make considering Jones’ production and his bloated contract, which was just signed during the 2019 season. Cutting Bodine will save the Lions around $850,000.
Even though Jones is going, it’s nice to see his classy thoughts and feelings on the way out. To that end, he will be missed by the team for his positive attitude and leadership.