The Las Vegas Raiders replenished their apparent ex-New England Patriot quota this week, adding cornerback Jack Jones to the fold after his sudden departure from Foxborough and quick transfer to Sin City.
Jones spoke for the first time as a Raider on Wednesday and addressed his time with the Patriots after limiting things to emojis on social media in the immediate aftermath. Questioning the so-called "Patriot Way" in the wake of New England's ongoing downfall has become a bit of a trend for former Foxborough mainstays but Jones remained neutral, hinting that there was mutual discord on both sides.
"I would say it wasn't the best fit," Jones told ESPN. "I can't really speak too much about it, just because I'm not on the coaching staff. I can't call it. (It) just wasn't the best fit, but I'm glad to be here."
Jones joined New England as a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft. He'll perhaps be best remembered in Patriots lore for his pick-six against Aaron Rodgers in last season's visit to Green Bay, the first of two interceptions in his debut season. Jones also had six pass breakups and 30 tackles (3 for a loss) over 13 appearances.
Sophomore slump, however, wouldn't even begin to describe Jones' second season accurately, as he's dealt with issues on and off the field. His sideline demeanor became increasingly grim and he played only 10 snaps in the Patriots' latest defeat, a 10-6 slog in Frankfurt against the Indianapolis Colts. He was bid farewell shortly after New England's return home.
Jones will probably feel at home in Las Vegas. Despite firing head coach and former Foxborough offensive boss Josh McDaniels, the Raiders are still stocked with plenty of former Patriots like receiver Jakobi Meyers. He's the latest addition to a potentially rebooted playoff cause that continues on Sunday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
Fresh off a primetime victory over the New York Jets, Las Vegas (5-5) is back in the thick of the chase for the final AFC Wild Card: Houston and Cincinnati are tied for the seventh and last invitation on the current bracket (the former holding the tiebreaker) while Raiders are one of three teams (along with Indianapolis and Buffalo) that sit a half-game back.
Signing with Las Vegas also reunites Jones with Antonio Pierce, McDaniels' immediate successor as the Raiders' interim head coach. Pierce, a star linebacker on the New York Giants team that ended New England's dream of perfection in 2008, coached Jones at Long Beach Poly High School and later served as his collegiate defensive coach at Arizona State.
"The kid’s been through a lot. I’ve known him since he was very young, obviously, (that’s) been documented. I’ve seen the growth of development,” Pierce said to NBC Sports. “Nobody’s perfect, I don’t expect him to be perfect. That’s my job as well, to bring him along and our staff and our organization to help him if he needs be.
"But the football player is extremely gifted, and I expect him to (be) such when he gets here.”
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