Former Hoosier Cam Jones Signs With Kansas City Chiefs as Undrafted Free Agent
Cam Jones is joining the reigning Super Bowl champions.
On Saturday night, the former Indiana linebacker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. Jones' deal includes a $15,000 signing bonus and a $135,000 base salary guarantee, per Tom Pelissero.
Jones will team up with former Indiana cornerback Reese Taylor, who transferred to Purdue for the 2022 season and also signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Chiefs.
Across five seasons at Indiana, Jones was a constant force in the middle of the defense. He is one of three players in program history to be a three-time captain, and he finished his career with 208 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Jones made an immediate impact at Indiana, winning the team's Defensive Newcomer of the Year Award as a freshman in 2018. He began his career at Indiana's husky position, a safety/linebacker hybrid, but transitioned to stinger, or weak-side linebacker for the 2019 season. As a sophomore, Jones totaled 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a 44-yard pick-six as Indiana reached the Gator Bowl.
Jones helped Indiana achieve one of its best seasons in recent history in 2020, going 6-2, peaking at No. 7 in the AP Poll and reaching the Outback Bowl. In his first year as team captain, Jones totaled 35 tackles on his way to earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention. In 2021, Jones was third among Hoosiers with 64 total tackles, along with one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Jones was having a monster season in 2022 before a foot injury ended his college career on Oct. 1 at Nebraska. Jones stuffed Illinois running back Chase Brown at the goal line in the fourth quarter of Indiana's Week 1 win, and he racked up double-digit tackles in four of Indiana's first five games, including three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Despite his injury, Jones was constantly seen on the sideline talking to his teammates and fulfilling his role as a team leader.
"He's got a heart of gold," Indiana coach Tom Allen said during the 2022 season. "As great a player as he is, he's a better person. I don't know that I've coached a better person ... Football is great, but the kind of man that you are, that counts."
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein described Jones as an "Inside linebacker with a lean but athletic build. Jones will get stuck on blocks from time to time, but generally finds his way to the football in position to make a play. He has the experience necessary to recognize play design and turn on the acceleration quickly against wide-flowing runs. He lacks ideal size, length and speed but has the demeanor and feel needed to become a solid backup and core special teams performer."
Jones participated in the NFL combine, where he posted a 4.69-second 40-yard dash, 1.62-second 10-yard split, 33-inch vertical jump and 17 bench press reps at 225 pounds. Jones stands at 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, with 31.25-inch arms and 9.5-inch hands. He received a 5.87 prospect grade by NFL.com, which puts him in the site's "average backup or special-teamer category."
Here are Jones' strengths, according to Zierlein:
- Three-time team captain.
- Patient to diagnose and read runner’s lane choice.
- Above average play recognition post-snap.
- Pursues ball-carrier with proper leverage.
- Anticipates cutbacks and makes the tackle.
- Stalks the field with desired level of aggression.
- Gets wide and in ready stance to tackle in the gap.
- Explodes through hips with full chest-to-frame contact.
Here are Jones' weaknesses, according to Zierlein:
- Blockers who square him up can take him for a short ride.
- Occasionally undercuts the block to his detriment.
- Lacks downhill flow to make plays in the backfield.
- Voids the run fit when trying to side-step climbing blocks.
- Fooled by play-action and misdirection.
- Played in just five games last season due to foot injury.
He was one of five Indiana players who were signed to deals after the 2023 NFL Draft. No Hoosiers were drafted. (Stories are the other four players are linked below.)
Five Indiana football players signed deals as undrafted free agents on Saturday. (Graphic by IU Athletics)
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