Matt Jones - Pro Football Rumors

Matt Jones Hires Drew Rosenhaus

July 2nd, 2017 at 11:45am CST by Rory Parks

Redskins RB Matt Jones, whose agent, Hadley Engelhard, asked Washington to release his client last month, has changed agents. Jones will now be represented by one of the biggest names in the sports world, Drew Rosenhaus, according to Rosenhaus himself (via Twitter).

Jones, of course, is not a part of the Redskins’ plans for 2017, so it made sense for Engelhard to approach the team about cutting him. It is unclear what — other than Rosenhaus’ name value and Engelhard’s inability to convince Washington to release Jones — might have triggered Jones’ decision, but now it will be Rosenhaus’ job to secure a change of scenery for his newest client.

Jones was once the Redskins’ starting back, but he has been bypassed by Robert Kelley. This year, Oklahoma product Samaje Perine figures to see a good percentage of the carries and Chris Thompson will return as the team’s pass-catching specialist out of the backfield. That leaves little-to-no room for the talented but fumble-prone Jones.

Washington also tried to trade Jones in the spring but did not find much of a market for his services. The 2015 third-round pick is still under club control on his rookie deal through 2018.

Matt Jones’ Agent Asks Redskins To Cut Him

June 14th, 2017 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Matt Jones is not a key part of the Redskins’ plans for 2017, so he is (understandably) looking to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Jones’ agent asked the team to release his client, as Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press writes.

“Let’s move on,” agent Hadley Engelhard said. “We’re hoping [team president Bruce Allen] sees the light and does the gentleman thing and release Matt.”

Reading between the lines, Engelhard’s decision to go on record with the media on this matter might not be a good sign for his effort to get Jones on the open market. Odds are, Engelhard has been pushing Allen behind the scenes for several weeks to cut the running back but has so far been unsuccessful. Eventually, however, something has to give. The Redskins tried to find a suitable trade for Jones in the spring but did not find much of a market.

Jones was once the Redskins’ starting back but he has been bypassed by Robert Kelley. This year, Oklahoma product Samaje Perine figures to see a good percentage of the carries and Chris Thompson will return as the team’s pass-catching specialist out of the backfield. That leaves little-to-zero room for the talented but fumble-prone Jones.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, OBJ, Redskins

June 13th, 2017 at 5:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this week, Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant attempted to recruit free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis via Twitter. Subsequent reports indicated that the organization wasn’t pursuing the veteran, but head coach Jason Garrett was rather vague when addressing the rumors today.

“Yeah, I really don’t know the nature of that,” Garrett said (via Jon Machota of The Dallas News). “Obviously we have a lot of respect for Revis. He’s been a great player in this league for a long time.”

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli deferred to the front office.

“I wouldn’t even speculate on anything like that,” he said. “That’s in the front office. They are the ones that decide those things.”

Predictably, Marinelli acknowledged that there could be a role for the seven-time Pro Bowler.

“Any great player you can,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where he’s at, what position.”

As we wait to see how this plays out, let’s take a look at other notes from the NFC East…

Odell Beckham Jr. grabbed headlines this month by staying away from the Giants during OTAs, but he says that he’s not fretting his contract situation. “I leave that in the hands of the man above,” Beckham said (according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post on Twitter). “When that time comes, that time comes. Right now is really not the time to discuss it. When it comes, it’ll come.”
Giants defensive end Owa Odighizuwa is handling “personal issues” and isn’t expected to be present at mandatory minicamp, reports ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter). The former third-round pick, who also wasn’t present for OTAs, has played in 18 games over the past two seasons, compiling six tackles.
Redskins running back Matt Jones was absent during OTAs, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran was present for mandatory minicamp. Recent reports indicated that Jones wasn’t “a part of the team’s plans for 2017,” which echoed previous rumors that the team was shopping the 24-year-old. Jones appeared in seven games last season, running for 460 yards and three touchdowns on 99 carries.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Bears, Lions

June 1st, 2017 at 7:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Running back Matt Jones, who’s not in the Redskins’ plans, would like the team to trade or cut him, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. For now, the Redskins have no plans to cut the two-year veteran, according to Keim, though he notes that teams around the NFL ultimately expect that to happen. Although he averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry on 99 attempts last season, the fumble-prone Jones is now at the bottom of Washington’s backfield depth chart.

Latest On Redskins RB Matt Jones

May 30th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

Matt Jones Not In Redskins’ Plans

May 24th, 2017 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

After Matt Jones ran for 123 yards in his second NFL game, it seemed like big things were in the running back’s future. Less than two years later, he might be on the outs in D.C. Jones does not appear to be a part of the Redskins’ plans for 2017, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and he will not take part in the team’s voluntary OTAs.

Jones was a healthy scratch most of last year and the team was said to be shopping him prior to the draft in April. After selecting Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine in the fourth round, the Redskins might not have much of a need for Jones. Washington has Rob Kelley as the projected lead back and Chris Thompson as the pass-catching specialist, so they could round out the RB depth chart with Perine plus Keith Marshall and/or Mack Brown.

It’s not immediately clear whether the Redskins are thinking about cutting Jones outright, but the team and the player have definitely cooled off on each other. If the Redskins can’t find a suitable trade for the 24-year-old, then Jones may become an intriguing waiver wire option for the other 31 teams in the league.

Redskins Shopping RB Matt Jones

April 28th, 2017 at 8:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are shopping running back Matt Jones, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins are likely to add another running back this weekend and that would squeeze Jones out of the picture.

The former third round pick has had flashes of brilliance in the past, but he has not been able to produce consistently. Jones’ struggles with ball security turned him from a rising star to an afterthought and he’s now likely on his way out of D.C. Still, another team might want to kick the tires on Jones based on his potential and inexpensive salary. He’s signed through the 2018 campaign with base salaries under $800K.

Last year, Jones had a pair of 100+ yard games. On October 2, Jones had 22 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown against Cleveland. Then, on October 16, he had 135 yards off of 16 carries and also added a rushing touchdown. The following week, he suffered a knee injury and that opened the door for Robert Kelley to take his starting gig. Even though he returned to full health, he did not see the field for the rest of the season.

Redskins Explored Trading RB Matt Jones

November 20th, 2016 at 2:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins considered trading running back Matt Jones in advance of the NFL’s trade deadline earlier this month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on NFL Insiders this morning.

While Schefter’s report didn’t include what sort of compensation Washington was targeting, or what clubs may have expressed interest, it’s difficult to imagine that the Redskins could have asked for much in return for Jones. After beginning the season as Washington’s starting running back, Jones has since ceded his job to Robert Kelley and, after overcoming a knee injury, has been a healthy inactive on gameday.

In seven 2016 starts, Jones has averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 99 rushes while scoring three touchdowns, and he’s also ranked well according to advanced metrics such as Football Outsiders‘ DVOA and DYAR. However, Jones has struggled with ball security, having put the ball on the ground three times. He’s signed through the 2018 campaign with base salaries under $800K in each of the next two seasons.

If Jones continues to be a healthy scratch on gamedays — head coach Jay Gruden has said Jones will have to “earn his way back” — the Redskins will rely on Kelley, Chris Thompson, and Mack Brown in the backfield.

Extra Points: Eagles, Bucs, Cowboys, Injuries

October 28th, 2016 at 9:27pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s a lot of talk about receivers the Eagles could acquire, but which players could they look to trade themselves? Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com runs down some candidates, including linebacker Mychal Kendricks. The Eagles are somewhat thin at linebacker, but it seems defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz isn’t that high on Kendricks and other teams would probably use him more than Philly has. Other suggested trade candidates include interior offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, wide receiver Nelson Agholor, defensive end Connor Barwin, and running back Ryan Mathews.

Will the Buccaneers acquire a veteran wide receiver between now and the trade deadline? Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders notes that there is a need there after Louis Murphy‘s latest setback and looks at a handful of candidates around the league. Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery is a game-changing talent, but he’s in his contract year and the Bucs would have to juggle re-signing him while trying to extend Mike Evans this offseason. For that reason, someone like 49ers receiver Torrey Smith might make more sense for Tampa Bay.
The Cowboys had interest in Chase Daniel as a backup quarterback during the offseason, Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram tweets. However, that was before the Eagles made Daniel the league’s highest-paid reserve QB.
Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has injury updates on a number of key players. Colts receiver Donte Moncrief will play, but Falcons running back Tevin Coleman won’t. Neither will Redskins rusher Matt Jones, whose teammate, tight end Jordan Reed, is questionable.
Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis admitted that he’s “breaking down,” but he’s not thinking retirement.

Redskins Promote RB Mack Brown

October 28th, 2016 at 8:11am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins signed running back Mack Brown to their active roster off of their practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The move is another indication that the team will be without Matt Jones on Sunday. To make room, Washington waived safety Josh Evans.

The fumble-prone Jones has been dealing with a knee injury and was held out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Now, Jones will be on the sidelines as Chris Thompson and Rob Kelley handle the Redskins’ ground attack. Brown, meanwhile, will back both of them up as Washington takes on the Bengals in London.

Brown missed the Redskins’ 53-man cut in each of the last two years. After being yo-yo’d on and off the practice squad last year, Brown landed there again this year. Now, he might actually get his first taste of real NFL action.

Brown led the NFL with 227 rushing yards in the 2016 preseason.