Buccaneers Sign Former Broncos LB Joe Jones
Joseph Jones couldn't beat them, so he's joining them.
Jones, the former Denver Broncos backup linebacker and special teams maven, signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced Wednesday.
Additional terms of the deal are not available as of press time.
A 2017 undrafted free agent, Jones experienced a nomadic rookie campaign, released by the Cowboys at final cuts and bouncing to the Chargers' and Seahawks' practice squads. The Broncos plucked him from Seattle in November 2017.
Jones spent the last four seasons in Denver, totaling 31 tackles (23 solo) across 49 games. He made 14 appearances in 2020, seeing just six defensive snaps. He was active for Denver's Week 3 loss to Tampa Bay in which he logged 27 special teams reps. Consequently, the club chose not to re-sign the Northwestern product, who entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
The Broncos have prioritized the position under new general manager George Paton. After exercising Von Miller's option, ensuring his 2021 return, Paton imported two linebackers during last week's NFL Draft: third-round ILB Baron Browning and seventh-round OLB Jonathon Cooper.
Browning will start off as the direct reserve behind Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell, with Justin Strnad and Austin Calitro rounding out the depth chart. Cooper likely will battle Derrek Tuszka for the OLB4 spot behind Miller, Bradley Chubb, and Malik Reed.
Follow Zack on Twitter @KelbermanNFL
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
