Redskins to sign defensive lineman Arthur Jones to 53-man roster

The Washington Redskins agreed to sign Arthur Jones to their roster on Tuesday night. He is a welcome addition to an ailing defensive line.

The Washington Redskins have been struck by a ridiculous amount of injuries in the past few weeks. They have lost several starters on both sides of the ball, and all of their offensive line is hurt in one way on another. On the defensive side of the ball, their defensive line took a couple of hits after Jonathan Allen went down for the season and Matt Ioannidis had surgery on his hand.

It was widely expected that the Redskins would add another defensive lineman to their roster in the coming week. They had only four healthy guys at the position, so they definitely needed more depth. While it was thought that A.J. Francis could re-sign with the team, they actually elected to sign Arthur Jones, per ESPN’s John Keim. This is a solid move that could pay off for the Redskins.

Jones, brother of Arizona Cardinals star Chandler Jones, is a six year NFL veteran who has spent his entire career with two teams. He has played with the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts as a three technique in a 3-4 defense. While he hasn’t suited up this season, he has upside and was once considered to be a very strong end.

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In his final two years in Baltimore, 2012-2013, Jones posted 8.5 sacks, a good number for an interior rusher. He was able to use his 6-foot-3, 300 pound frame to push back into the backfield. He was a great fit in John Harbaugh’s scheme, and he parlayed his success into a 5 year, $30 million deal with the Colts.

However, in Indianapolis, Jones never really panned out. He was suspended for violating the league’s PED policy and missed a total of 15 games due to that and injuries he suffered. He was released as a cap casualty in the 2017 offseason, and he remained unsigned on the market.

Right now, the Redskins are just betting on Jones to become a productive rotational player. Given his success in the past, it worth taking a shot on him with a short term deal. If he’s fully healthy, he might be able to have an impact and produce a bit as an interior rusher. That will be very important for the team, as Ioannidis and Allen were the team’s top two pass rushing five techs.

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Overall, there’s no harm in bringing in Jones at this point. Worst case scenario, he doesn’t pan out and the Redskins part ways with him in the offseason. Best case, he turns into a quality player and the team re-signs him to be a rotational guy for their 2018 defense.

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