Buy Or Sell: Should the Jaguars Re-Sign Cornerback Sidney Jones?

Cornerback Sidney Jones IV is set to become a free agent now that his one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars has been completed. Should the club re-sign the now fifth-year defensive back? We examine the numbers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are gearing up for what promises to be one of their most influential offseasons in franchise history. With the No. 1 overall pick and ample draft capital—to build on a club record 12 picks from the 2020 NFL Draft—the Jags have a chance to change the face of the franchise for the future, starting this spring.

Despite the first and second-year players that will inevitably shape the roster in the coming months, there are still valuable options for the Jaguars already on the roster. With free agency set to open in just over two months (March 17) the Jags must begin to build their 2021 roster now with options from those currently in the locker room set to become FA’s this spring.

Cornerback Sidney Jones IV joined the Jaguars just before the season began after being cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that drafted him in the second round out of Washington in the 2017 Draft.

Recovery from an Achilles Injury suffered during his college Pro-Day and subsequent injuries meant that over his first three seasons in the league, Jones appeared in only 22 games.

After being cut then claimed by the Jaguars, Jones rejuvenated his career -- albeit, again, in an injury-marred season that was eventually cut short. And therein lies both the biggest positive and negative to when contemplating re-signing Sidney Jones.

Buy

In just nine games, Jones set a passes defended mark—nine—that no other Jaguars secondary player came close to matching throughout the season. Rookie CJ Henderson got the closest with six. Jones also nabbed two interceptions which led late into the season before linebacker Joe Schobert grabbed his third.

Jones was a ball hawk, always there to make a play or help a teammate make a play. He reminded us why he was a projected first round pick before his injury at his Pro Day. According to Pro Football Focus, it was Jones’ best season yet from a defensive grade standpoint and he posted a 74 or better in coverage four times in seven games. A month into the season, PFF had given Jones the highest grade for a corner in the league (91.9).

Sometimes, players just need a change of scenery and that seemed to be the case for Jones, evident when Defensive Coordinator Todd Wash bragged on Jones play in mid-November.

“He’s getting his hands on balls, I think he’s being disruptive. He’s really doing a nice job in man coverage and getting disruption at the line of scrimmage. Obviously, some plays you don’t even see that he gets great disruption at the line of scrimmage and the quarterback goes away from him. So, he’s playing [consistently], which is really good to see and hopefully he’s going to be a Jaguar for a while.”

So can he be a Jaguar for a while? Before deciding that for sure, the club most also at least consider these reasons to sell.

Sell:

To this point, Sidney Jones has never played a full season. He has now experienced multiple Achilles injuries, enough to make even Helen second guess her commitment (just a little Homer humor for you). The Jaguars have ample cap space but do they want to make a deal with someone based off of half seasons and potential? Given the relative youth of the team, that doesn’t seem to be a huge issue, but the question is are they willing to sign potential over production top to bottom on the depth chart?

While Jones’ time with the Eagles was marred with inconsistency, his time with the Jaguars was fairly positive when he was on the field, so it would be the uncertainty of his capability to play a full season relative to his salary that would be the primary worry.

Jacksonville would ultimately need to decide what kind of role they see for Jones. Do they want to take a big risk and bring him back as a starter with hopes that he be healthy, or bring him back as a key depth piece that they know could step in at any time?

The Numbers:

Speaking of the numbers, here’s where they currently stand for Jones and the Jaguars. When signed in August, Sidney Jones inked an $825,000 contract with a $670,588 base salary and cap hit. He’ll be entering his fifth season in 2021, meaning his contract will be upped to veteran status with whichever team (possibly the Jags) he signs next.

So should the Jaguars re-sign Sidney Jones? His salary will likely rise but given the Jaguars' current cap situation and overall youth, Jones contract and play—even in only half a season—could easily be money well spent this offseason.