Raiders Assistant Coach Marvin Lewis on the Growth of CB Jack Jones

The Las Vegas Raiders ended last season with arguably one of the best defenses in the National Football League. Their play over the second half of last season took them from an improved but middling defense to one on the cusp of being a top-ten defense. While part of their turnaround was because of Coach Antonio Pierce taking over at the helm, adding multiple new faces was equally as big of a factor.

Along with the addition of linebacker Robert Spillane, the most significant addition to the Raiders’ defense last season was the addition of cornerback Jack Jones. The veteran cornerback was added late in the season and paired with Coach Pierce, who he’s known since high school.

Pierce has allowed Jones to be himself, unlike the team Jones played for previously, and it has allowed Jones to play freely. Jones solidified the Raiders’ cornerback position after only being with the team for a short period.

Raiders assistant head coach Marvin Lewis said they’re working with Jones to find a happy medium between allowing him to be himself and being a productive veteran on the team.

"We want to have some consistency of things, and we're trying to iron Jackie [Jack Jones] out a little bit all the time,” Lewis said. “He's a very talented player, and I've had the pleasure as I told him again, 'Jack, it's been five years now. Let's move on. Let's get this moved to step B. We're still on step A.' But yes, he's a very talented young man.

“He has a knack for making football plays, and he just has that about him. And I think it's just still in the process of learning to be a pro day in and day out, and I think that's important. But his teammates know what they're going to get out there on the field, and we've just got to make sure we keep all those things positive all the time.

Coach Lewis said Jones has improved but still has things to work on.

“I mean, I remember the end of the season he made just a great play in the Denver game where he came across and tipped the ball in the end zone, and the next play, he didn't move,” Lewis said. “And that's the thing, that's the toughest position on the field. I mean, you've got to cover a guy that you can't touch. He knows where he's going, and you can't touch him. Other than that, it's easy."

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