Running back Matt Jones continues to stay away from the Redskins’ voluntary offseason practices as the second week gets underway. Apparently, that’s not going to change anytime soon. Jones is instead working out in Florida after coaches informed him that he is not a part of the team’s plans for 2017, a source tells Mike Jones of The Washington Post. 
This year, the Redskins are expected to lean heavily on Rob Kelley while rookie Samaje Perine gets a decent cut of the carries. In addition to those two, Chris Thompson projects as the pass-catching specialist and Keith Marshall and/or Mack Brown should be able to make the final cut. That leaves Jones without a real role. He had some hype not long ago, but he was a healthy scratch most of last year and he was dangled prior to the draft in April.
Jones is a powerful back, but he has struggled to hold on to the football having fumbled four times as a rookie and twice in 2016. Other teams, we imagine, would have serious interest in claiming him if Washington decides to put him on the waiver wire.
Not sure who is advising these players, but it’s bad form. Disappointed, Matt Jones.
the team was in essence asking him to stay away by informing him that he no longer had a future with the franchise. He’s not doing the wrong thing by staying away, that’s what the Redskins want. He wasn’t told he’d have to battle for a job, he wasn’t told he’d have competition for a roster spot…he was flat out told, “you don’t have a role in our plans…period.” There’s nothing to be gained by joining voluntary workouts, and in fact there’s something to lose as it would tell the rest of the league he would allow himself to become a distraction to the rest of the team.