Clearly, part of the responsibility to carve out a home for the player falls on the player. Jones never forced his way into more snaps by playing well. His best game has been his first game, where he was all over the field against the Bengals as a rookie back in 2016. But he lacked the instincts to make plays as a box defender, the read-and-react ability to play in the deep half, and while he’s a useful man coverage player, Pettine prizes versatility among all else.
Brice or Whitehead were never truly better options than Jones. There could be more to the story here than just on-field struggles, because it’s not like these other players were any better. Brice, for example, gave up three touchdowns in just 29 targets with a passer rating over 150 when quarterbacks tested him. That’s awful. Jones’ 98.7 passer rating when targeted is nothing to write home about, but it was significantly better than Whitehead’s and Brice’s.
Much like in 2018, when the safety market proved to be extremely soft, Jones would be competing for spots with a host of former preferred starters around the league. Eric Berry, Tre Boston, Mike Mitchell, Glover Quin, Darian Stewart, Mike Adams, Ron Parker, Kurt Coleman and others remain on the market. Why would a team give up draft capital for a safety his own team didn’t want to play in favor of simply signing one of these other, more established players?
There’s a simple case that Packers should deal Jones for whatever they can get, like some conditional late Day 3 pick, and sign one of these veterans outright with the understanding that Amos and Savage represent the priority starters at the position.
Jones struggled in two-deep safety looks and never quite got the hang of inside linebacker play. As a blitzer shooting gaps and in man coverage, he could be useful, but the Packers clearly wanted more. They signed safeties they like and may have already drafted a replacement for the position Jones was meant to play.
A trade may truly be best for both sides, even if it’s unlikely the Packers will get useful compensation for him. That said, Green Bay showed it had little intention of actually finding a way to use Jones on the field so forcing him to say feels unduly punitive to the player. Neither side seems to want to be involved with the other. Moving on signals the end of a forgettable era in Packers safety play while allowing Jones to find a new home elsewhere.