‘I would say it wasn’t the ideal match,’ says New Raiders CB Jack Jones of the Patriots’ release.
For Jack Jones, the past four days have been crazy.
The cornerback participated in Sunday’s 10-6 defeat in Frankfurt, Germany between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.
He was released by the Patriots on Monday when the club arrived back in the country.
The Las Vegas Raiders claimed him by Tuesday.
He was also in Vegas on Wednesday, trying to explain the emotional roller coaster while acknowledging that his release had pained him and that he was full of inspiration moving ahead.
He didn’t provide many specifics about his departure and fall from grace in Boston, but he feels he didn’t fit in with the Patriots.
Jones stated, “I would say it wasn’t the best fit,” as reported by ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. I’m not a member of the coaching staff, so I really can’t talk too much about it. I’m unable to call it. Though it wasn’t the ideal match, I’m nonetheless happy to be here.
Jones comes into an eighth-ranked Raiders secondary against the pass. He described it as “elite” and declared that he would “help out” wherever he might “fit in.”
As a rookie in 2022, he blended in nicely with the Patriots, but things didn’t go well in 2023, and he wasn’t completely unharmed by his release.
“That was the team that drafted me, that gave me an opportunity,” Jones stated. “You think you’re going to be there for the next four years when you were picked, but sadly, it didn’t work out. Being here right now is a blessing.”
Despite having only played for the Patriots in his brief one and a half year NFL career, Jones is well acquainted with Antonio Pierce, his new head coach. The interim head coach of the Raiders is none other than Jones, who was an assistant coach at Arizona State and the head coach at Long Beach Poly High School.
Pierce thinks Jones will provide depth and competitiveness at the back end and values his ability to make plays with the ball. It’s also obvious that he has strong emotional ties to the 25-year-old.
“Kid has experienced a lot,” Pierce said the media on Wednesday. “Obviously, I’ve known him since he was a very small child. There is documentation for it. I have witnessed the expansion and progress. Nobody is flawless. I’m not going to aim for perfection. It’s my responsibility to accompany him as well, and our team and organization will assist him if necessary. The football player is really talented, and I anticipate that he will do well when he comes here.”
As a rookie, Jones made 13 starts, had 30 tackles, grabbed two interceptions, and returned one for a score.
Nevertheless, he performed poorly this season, appearing in five of the Patriots’ ten games, receiving zero starts, and earning a 46.6 PFF overall rating.
