Waiveree cornerback Jack Jones of the Patriots would naturally end up in the NFL, ideally in Las Vegas, where he could meet up with the coach who has meant the most to him in his football career—Antonio Pierce of the Raiders.
Prior to joining the Raiders as a linebackers coach last season, Pierce served as Arizona State’s associate head coach from 2018 to 2021. At Long Beach Poly High in Long Beach, California, he held his first position as head coach. He started working there in 2014 and remained there until he joined the Sun Devils, where he served as Herm Edwards’ recruiting coordinator in addition to being a coach.
Jones, who originally committed to USC out of Long Beach Poly, was ranked as the No. 16 recruit in the country by The562.org. However, scholastic problems and an arrest for burglary in the summer of 2018 led the Trojans to release him. With seven more of Pierce’s former teammates on the team’s defense in Tempe, Pierce cleared the path for him to receive another opportunity.
After a bright beginning to his career, Jones has now failed miserably in New England. Perhaps Pierce could set up a second opportunity for him, this time with the Raiders. (H/T Black Pride & Silver.)
Jones is without a doubt a talented player. Jones, who attended Arizona State, was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. Had it not been for his prior indiscretions at USC, his draft position would have likely increased. “As a player, he’s a ball-hawking cornerback with playmaking instincts,” said his NFL.com draft profile.
During his rookie campaign, he appeared in 13 games for New England and picked up two interceptions, one against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 4. With a 74.7 grade at Pro Football Focus, he made a strong future impression as a cornerback. Even so, though, he had issues with professionalism and ended 2022 with a brief suspension.
Because of their depth, the Patriots were predicted to have one of the best secondaries in the NFL going into the 2023 season, and Jones was expected to play a significant role in that department.
However, Jones was detained at Boston’s Logan Airport in the off-season while carrying two loaded firearms. In August, Jones consented to a plea agreement whereby the prosecution dropped all nine of the charges against him in exchange for 48 hours of community service and a year of probation.
Even after Jones returned to the Patriots, questions about his demeanor and level of professionalism followed him around. Additionally, he did not perform up to par; his PFF grade fell to an ugly 46.4.
Due to his infraction of the curfew, Jones was benched for the Week 9 match against Washington. He was benched once more on Sunday, this time against the Colts in Germany. On the sidelines, he was observed sulking. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports that the Patriots sent him packing as a result of that.
