Jaguars to sign former Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones to practice squad

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly landing a relatively big name as far as practice squad players go. The team will be adding former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones as one of the 16 members on its practice squad, according ESPN’s Tim McManus.

Jones, a second-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2017, was considered by many to be a top-10 talent coming out of college that year, but a torn Achilles tendon at his pro day derailed those plans. Due to the injury, Jones saw action in just one game as a rookie, but earned a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles. Since then, Jones has continued to struggle with soft tissue injuries during his short NFL career, and has put out some inconsistent film. Philadelphia cut Jones this weekend as the team knocked its roster down to the maximum allotment of 53 players.

Still, for a cornerback room that is full of youth — including four rookies — Jones could help Jacksonville’s secondary if there is ever a need for him to be called up to the active roster. In 22 career games, with eight starts, Jones has compiled 50 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, three interceptions and 10 passes defended. Pro Football Focus gave Jones an overall grade of 63.5 in 2019.

Jones has good size at 6-foot-even and 181 pounds. He also used the offseason to get his body right with trainer Ronnie Braxton. At just 24 years old, Jones could still have a lot to offer, but he also still has a lot to prove. Maybe a change of scenery is what the fourth-year cornerback needs. For right now, he will provide the Jaguars with an insurance plan in the defensive backfield.

The current active cornerbacks on the roster include CJ Henderson (rookie), Luq Barcoo (rookie), Josiah Scott (rookie), Chris Claybrooks (rookie), Brandon Watson (second year), D.J. Hayden (eighth year) and Tre Herndon (third year).

Keep track of all of Jacksonville’s practice squad signings here.