Oakland Raiders: A few free agent defensive tackles worth looking at
By Kevin Saito
At six-foot-four, 322 pounds, Jones is a solid, fireplug of a man. In his four seasons with Tennessee, he appeared in 51 games, starting 45 of those. And in that time, he amassed 110 total tackles (66 solo) and six sacks. He also forced a fumble and recovered two others – returning one for a touchdown.
The former fourth-round pick out of Penn State is just 26-years old and looks strong as he enters his prime years.
Before a torn biceps ended his 2017 season prematurely, Jones was on track for the best statistical season of his career. In twelve games with the Titans last season, he had 31 tackles (19 solo), and 3.5 sacks.
In his four seasons with the Titans, Jones was dominant as a run stuffer, but he provided a strong interior push as well. He was a valuable asset to the team’s pass rush – as evidenced by his rising sack totals.
In his fourth season with Tennessee, Jones made a shade under two million on the year. But, with other big names on the free agent radar, Jones might not garner the same level of buzz and interest. Which means, it’s possible that Oakland could bring him in on a team-friendly deal that still gives him a bump in pay that he’s happy with.
Jones is a big man who has surprising quickness and athleticism. He can dominate at the line of scrimmage, is a strong asset against the run, and can get the sort of push up the middle the Raiders have been sorely lacking and desperately need.