Washington Redskins: Why Matt Jones was far more than a failed draft choice

Lesson to be learned

Patience, we are counseled, is a virtue. But misplaced patience, especially one built around a flawed person or idea, is a vice. This bit of wisdom somehow eluded Scot McCloughan, who never seemed to grasp that his bewildering confidence in Jones was not a zero-sum proposition.

Indeed, while it’s admirable to stand by your man, you’d better be sure that it’s the right man. If you’re not, the cost isn’t simply a wasted relationship, but one where you pass up on other promising opportunities. This is exactly the hard-knocks lesson the Redskins learned with Jones: not only was he a third-round bust, but he cost them a backfield that could’ve featured David Johnson or Jay Ajayi.

It doesn’t take much to imagine how either would have dramatically changed the Redskins fortunes. And it’s a teachable moment the organization shouldn’t soon forget.

Next: Redskins offense causes Week 1 loss

It becomes even more interesting that Jones’ newest team, the Indianapolis Colts, waived him after less than a week with the team. Jones has an uphill battle to make it in the NFL, and it should be interesting to see if he succeeds with a different organization.