Adding to the cornerback room was an important task for the Washington Commanders this offseason. General manager Adam Peters bided his time, striking with conviction to find an immediate impact player who could help enormously with a smooth transition.
According to reports, the Commanders have signed Jonathan Jones to a one-year deal. The talented corner emerged from undrafted free agent obscurity to carve out a nine-year career for himself with the New England Patriots, winning two Super Bowls and contributing significantly to the team's success.
With a new era dawning under head coach Mike Vrabel, Jones opted to take his chances somewhere with legitimate chances to contend. The Commanders were only too happy to oblige, giving them an experienced figure to place alongside Mike Sainristil and Marshon Lattimore.
Jonathan Jones fits the Commanders' culture shift perfectly
Jones was rumored to be on the trade block last year and the Commanders showed interest before acquiring Lattimore. Peters now gets the best of both worlds, giving them an upgrade on Benjamin St-Juste along the way.
St-Juste flattered to deceive last season once again. The Commanders sent him to the fringes after too many penalties in key moments. He found work quickly, accepting an offer with the Los Angeles Chargers.
That's of no concern to the Commanders. They found a replacement — someone capable of providing more assured coverage and doing more to assist in run support. It was a down year by Jones' typically high standards in 2024, but it's also worth remembering that the Patriots were going nowhere fast and offered almost nothing across their defensive front seven.
This is the perfect landing spot for Jones. It also fits the mold of Peters' preferred approach in free agency, which was a recipe for success throughout his first year at the helm.
Peters wanted to find veteran players with good football left. He wanted to find leaders capable of fitting into the scheme and improving the locker room culture. Jones ticks those boxes and more.
The Commanders now have a potentially prolific cornerback trio to depend upon. Sanristil is the fiery young upstart with big ambitions. Lattimore is the Pro Bowl-caliber presence in his prime, or he should be with a full offseason to get healthy. Jones represents the savvy veteran who's been to the very top and stayed there for a long time.
This is more like it from the Commanders. Peters is in win-now mode with a lot of holes to fill. Daring trades catch the headlines but moves like this separate the contending teams from the also-rans.
A few more like Jones, and fans can feel confident another deep postseason run could be in the team's immediate future.
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