Jacksonville Jaguars debate: Does CB Sidney Jones deserve new deal?

Sidney Jones has quickly carved a niche with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Reliable cornerbacks are hard to find and to make matters worse, NFL teams need more than one, and possibly three. The Jaguars let C.J. Henderson take one starting stop but they needed someone else to play opposite of him, and Sidney Jones was the man. While the corner didn’t see any playing time in his first two weeks on the active roster, he had 12 snaps on defense in Week 4, 16 percent of the team’s total in that game.

Jones became a starter the following week and would progressively see more time on the field. In fact, he’s played every possible snap on defense in the last two games. Besides the fact he has seized the starting cornerback job, the Washington standout is making the most out of the opportunity.

Against the Green Bay Packers, Jones had his first interception with the ‘Jags’, but he also had two batted passes. Before Week 10, he had allowed just one touchdown and 54.6 percent of the passes thrown in his direction. Although those aren’t All-Pro numbers, the cornerback has been an asset and not a liability in coverage.

A cornerback like Jones would have no problem earning a big contract in the offseason, so the Jaguars could offer him a long-term deal before he becomes a free agent. They have seen what he can do on the field and would be wise to lock him up before his value goes up.

The ‘Jags’ are set to have $83.99 million in cap space in 2021. but before they make any impact signings, they should start by locking up their own players and Sidney Jones should be one of the first ones to start contract talks.