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Matt Jones

Colts Waive RB Matt Jones

May 1st, 2018 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts announced that they have waived running back Matt Jones. Linebackers Darnell Sankey and Jermaine Grace, wide receiver Justice Liggins, nose tackle Joey Mbu, and defensive end Arthur Miley were also waived while defensive tackle Johnathan Calvin was waived-injured. 

Jones was once primed to be the Redskins’ primary running back, but he slipped down the team’s depth chart over time. The Redskins waived Jones after they were unable find a trade partner for him, leading him to the Colts. He cycled between the Colts’ active roster and practice squad throughout last year, but the team has decided against keeping him on the expanded roster now that the draft has concluded.

The Colts selected NC State’s Nyheim Hines in the fourth round and Mississippi’s Jordan Wilkins in the fifth round, so there was little hope for Jones to make the final cut. Marlon Mack and Robert Turbin project to be the Colts’ lead rushers while Christine Michael and Josh Ferguson will battle alongside the two rookies for a place on the roster.

Jones, a 6’2″, 239-pound athlete, has played in 25 career games with seven starts. All in all, he has averaged 3.9 yards per carry with six rushing touchdowns.

Sankey appeared in six games for the Colts last year and spent time on the team’s practice squad. He wrapped up the year on the Ravens’ taxi squad, but circled back to the Colts for a futures deal in January.

Colts Waive RB Matt Jones

December 2nd, 2017 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Jones is back on the waiver wire. The Colts parted ways with the third-year running back on Saturday, ending a two-plus-month stay on their 53-man roster.

Indianapolis cut Jones to make room for wide receiver K.J. Brent, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

The Colts waived Jones in early September, only to bring him back via practice squad invitation. That could again be the move the franchise has planned, but the former Redskins starter is now unattached.

The Redskins cut Jones after the preseason concluded, and the Colts claimed him on waivers. He played in just three games this season and recorded five carries for 14 yards. The Colts have Frank Gore, Marlon Mack and Josh Ferguson as their active-roster running backs.

Jones averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2016, but the Redskins benched him primarily because of fumbling problems. He’s yet to re-emerge as a coveted ball-carrier.

Colts Promote RB Matt Jones

September 22nd, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Matt Jones is back on with the varsity team. The Colts have elevated Jones from the practice squad, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, guard Ian Silberman has been waived. Matt Jones (vertical)

Jones was once primed to be the main ball carrier in Washington, but the Redskins informed him this offseason that he would not be a real part of their plans. He pushed for a trade out of D.C. for months, but a deal never materialized. Finally, on Sept. 2, the Redskins waived him, allowing the Colts to add him to the roster. He was dropped just prior to the season opener, but was quickly re-signed to the practice squad. Now, he’s back on the 53-man roster in advance of Sunday’s game against the Browns.

There’s no word yet on whether Jones will be on the active game day roster this week. But with Marlon Mack nursing an injured shoulder and Christine Michael on IR, he’s a good bet to dress. He’s expected to slot behind Frank Gore and Robert Turbin.

Colts To Sign Matt Jones To Practice Squad

September 12th, 2017 at 12:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite being cut after less than a week with the Colts, Matt Jones will stay in Indianapolis. The former Redskins starter agreed to sign with the Colts’ practice squad, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

This move would not have been possible as recently as a few years ago, with Jones having played in 20 regular-season games. But practice squad eligibility has expanded, via the practice squad exception rule for which Jones qualifies as a player with fewer than three accrued NFL seasons, leaving the Colts the option to attempt to develop Jones on their taxi squad.

The Redskins cut Jones last week after having benched him midway through last season. The former third-round pick, though, averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 99 attempts last season.

Indianapolis houses three running backs on its active roster, with Robert Turbin and rookie Marlon Mack stationed behind Frank Gore on the depth chart. With the Colts not previously employing a running back on their practice squad, Jones now becomes the team’s No. 4 back.

The Colts cut outside linebacker Garrett Sickels from their practice squad, Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com tweets.

Colts Waive RB Matt Jones

September 9th, 2017 at 10:32am CST by Ben Levine

Matt Jones‘ tenure with the Colts has already come to an end. Less than a week after claiming him from the Redskins, Indy announced this morning that they’ve waived the running back. The team has promoted guard Adam Redmond from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

Matt Jones (vertical)Jones was waived by Washington last week, and he was subsequently claimed by the Colts. The fit made sense for Indianapolis; the team was relying on a 34-year-old starting running back in Frank Gore, and backups Robert Turbin and Marlon Mack aren’t the most intriguing options. However, it appears as if the team is content heading into the regular season with the trip of running backs.

Jones had shown promise with the Redskins, rushing for 490 yards and compiling 304 receiving yards in 2015. However, he took a step back in 2016, compiling 460 rushing yards in seven games. By the end of the season, he was behind Robert Kelley and Chris Thompson on the depth chart. While he owns a modest 3.9-yards-per-carry mark during his career, Jones has had issues taking care of the ball, compiling eight fumbles in two seasons. As Ian Rapoport tweets, the Bears attempted to claim Jones last week, so they might bite on the 24-year-old.

Redmond, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Harvard, spent most of last season on the Colts practice squad. Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com tweets that Joe Haeg and Le’Raven Clark are currently the team’s only healthy lineman, and Redmond will provide the squad with some extra depth. In fact, Chappell believes Jones could be back with the organization once the rest of the line is healthy (assuming he clears waivers).

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC South

September 3rd, 2017 at 4:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC South teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Colts Claim Matt Jones

September 3rd, 2017 at 11:57am CST by Rory Parks

Matt Jones is finally off the Redskins and with another club. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter), the Colts have claimed the former Washington running back off waivers.

Matt Jones (vertical)

Jones fell out of favor with Washington early last season, his second year in the league, and he found himself on the trading block shortly thereafter. Jones’ former agent lobbied for a release in June, and Jones then switched representation to Drew Rosenhaus. Being a former third-round pick whose yards-per-carry average spiked by more than a yard to 4.6 per tote last season, Jones has plenty of promise, but his fumbling issues are a major concern; he has fumbled eight times over the past two seasons.

Still, Indianapolis makes plenty of sense as a landing spot. While the Colts currently employ the ageless Frank Gore as their starting running back, Father Time figures to catch up with Gore sooner rather than later, and Jones and rookie Marlon Mack could make a youthful and talented one-two punch in the Indianapolis backfield.

Redskins To Cut Matt Jones

September 2nd, 2017 at 11:24am CST by Sam Robinson

The drawn-out Redskins/Matt Jones saga appears to have ended. The franchise informed the running back he’ll be waived today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Jones fell out of favor with the team early during his second season and found himself on the trade block, having fallen behind Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine on Washington’s depth chart. He’ll venture onto waivers after the Redskins were evidently unwilling to find a trade partner, one they were reportedly searching for as far back as the 2016 trade deadline.

The former Florida running back’s former agent lobbied for a release in June, and Jones then switched representation to Drew Rosenhaus. Being a former third-round pick whose yards-per-carry average spiked by more than a yard to 4.6 per tote last season, Jones figures to draw interest on the waiver wire.

Washington benched Jones midseason, however, after using him as a starter in seven games. He nearly outdid his 2015 production (490 yards) despite playing in six fewer contests. But the team clearly soured on the former well-regarded investment. Jones’ improved per-carry numbers notwithstanding, he’s fumbled eight times over the past two seasons.

Redskins Continue To Shop RB Matt Jones

August 28th, 2017 at 1:35pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Redskins are still shopping Matt Jones as the 53-man deadline approaches, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins have been looking to move Jones for much of the offseason. Matt Jones (vertical)

Jones was once the Redskins’ No. 1 running back, but he has been bypassed by Robert Kelley. He is further buried on the depth chart behind rookie Samaje Perine figures to see a good percentage of the carries and pass-catching specialist Chris Thompson. Jones is still a talented runner, but his tendency to put the ball on the ground has left him on the outs in Washington.

In June, Jones’ agent asked the Redskins to release him. Weeks later, he changed representation and hired Drew Rosenhaus. Rosenhaus presumably would like to see Jones released so that he can hook on elsewhere, but it should only be a matter of time before that happens anyway. Teams are mandated to trim their rosters from the current 90-man max down to 53 by Saturday afternoon.

Extra Points: Brady, Jones, Colts

July 2nd, 2017 at 8:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady finally addressed his wife’s comments about his possible undisclosed concussions, doing so in an interview on ESPN’s “E:60.” Gisele Bundchen said her 39-year-old husband suffered a concussion last season and multiple others the Patriots didn’t disclose in previous years. Brady did not deny this during his interview but was vague in his response.

“She’s there every day. I mean, we go to bed, you know, in the same bed every night. So I think she’s, you know, she knows when I’m sore,” Brady said (via CBSSports.com). “She knows when I’m tired. She knows, you know, when I get hit. I mean, we drive home together. But she also knows how well, you know, I take care of myself. She’s a very concerned wife and very loving.”

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio provided a translation from this answer that Brady has sustained concussions that were not reported. Nothing has come out yet regarding the Patriots’ knowledge of these concussions, so the team would not be in a position to be punished for concealing such injuries. Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said the quarterback wasn’t diagnosed with a concussion during the 2016 season. This doesn’t deny that he suffered one, however. The NFL in May said there was no record of Brady suffering a concussion last season.

Here’s the latest coming out of New England and other NFL cities.

  • Brady continued to insist he wants to play until he’s in his mid-40s. He added a “health-permitting”-type caveat when the subject was broached during his latest interview. “My mid-40s, I’ve always said, so naturally that’s 45, but football is a contact sport,” Brady said. “I don’t think you can take anything for granted in football, things happen. It’s just part of the sport. I would love to be able to continue playing at that level. As long as I keep playing well and committed to it, I’ll keep doing it. I know I got a lot left in me.” Brady, who will turn 40 next month, is signed through the 2019 season. The Patriots will have a big decision to make regarding how they approach Jimmy Garoppolo‘s situation come 2018, and Brady’s 2017 performance figures to have a major say in they handle the quandary.
  • News emerged about Matt Jones changing agents Sunday. Drew Rosenhaus now represents the Redskins running back. Previous agent Hadley Engelhard lobbied the Redskins to trade or release him, and Jones did not show for Washington’s OTA sessions. He skipped the workouts on the advice of Engelhard, according to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post, who wonders if the agent switch will have an impact on Jones’ standing with the Redskins. Washington deactivated Jones midseason after persistent fumbling trouble and added Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine in the fourth round. Jones did report to minicamp, but his status in Washington’s backfield hierarchy is murky.
  • Chuck Pagano and Colts DC Ted Monachino are encouraged by what they’ve seen from third-round pass rusher Tarell Basham, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com notes. Pagano said it will be “exciting” to watch the former Ohio Bobcats defensive end develop, while Monachino said a safe prediction can be made Basham will do “several things well.” Bowen writes Basham will likely be shuttled to outside linebacker in Indianapolis’ 3-4 look. Recently retired edge dynamo Robert Mathis has helped Basham (9.0 sacks as a senior last season) with that transition this offseason. The Colts added edge players Jabaal Sheard, John Simon and Barkevious Mingo in free agency, moving to younger cogs after Mathis retired. Trent Cole and Erik Walden remain unsigned after their Colts contracts expired.
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