As expected, the Cincinnati Bengals played the patient game in free agency at the cornerback position.
Monday, reports surfaced that the team agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Sidney Jones.
The short and sweet of it? The move has Eli Apple vibes as a short pact for a nice system fit in Lou Anarumo’s defense who can rotate in as a starter if necessary.
Jones, a second-round pick by Seattle in the 2017 draft, spent three seasons there, one with Jacksonville and then split time between Seattle and Las Vegas over the last two seasons.
Along the way, Jones has battled injury issues and simply fought up depth charts, going as far as needing to scrap off the practice squad in Jacksonville for playing time.
Still, while some of the numbers might not be great, Jones feels very similar to the Apple rehab project that started a few years ago. He’s a bigger corner who fits the scheme well, so there’s a chance he can have a similar impact.
Speaking of Apple, the move is a small one that doesn’t prevent bringing back free agents like Apple and Tre Flowers. The team has remained mum on what the rehab timetable looks like for No. 1 corner Chidobe Awuzie, so for now, second-round sophomore Cam Taylor-Britt is tops on the depth chart.
Same story for the draft outlook. Jones’ arrival doesn’t prevent anything on draft day, starting right in Round 1.
On paper, Jones is exactly what we and most others projected for the Bengals at cornerback on the market, outside of bringing back Apple and Flowers. No matter who they brought on, it was going to be a system fit on an affordable deal with the understanding that, depending on Awuzie’s health, the new arrival would be third at best on the depth chart.
The nice thing with Jones, though, is that immense upside that had him drafted early remains and Anarumo’s defense has a solid chance of helping him grasp toward that ceiling.
The latest addition to the cornerback room. pic.twitter.com/MwtSLu5TRF
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) March 27, 2023
