Jaguars WR Tim Jones makes the case for a roster spot with a 48-yard grab vs. Lions
• Tim Jones is trying to separate himself from the bunch
Wide receiver Tim Jones secured a spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars' 53-man roster last year with an impressive outing in the preseason. Jones will have a harder time making the cut this time around due to the logjam the Jags have at the position. Nevertheless, he's making his case against the Detroit Lions in Week 2 of the preseason.
Jones had a holding penalty that negated a run by rookie Tank Bigsby in the first quarter. But he made up for it right off the bat with an incredible 48-yard grab.
.@Timnjones5 with a great contested grab!#JAXvsDET on FOX pic.twitter.com/923rKxykOE
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 19, 2023
It's important to note that Jacksonville is going against the Lions' second team. Heading into the game, Detroit announced they were going to rest their starters. It was uncertain if the Jaguars were going to do the same and just before kickoff, they announced they would.
Also, the Jags provided injury updates. Doug Pederson told J.P. Shadrick of the team's official website that defensive end Foley Fatukasi is week to week with a foot injury. Defensive back Antonio Johnson will be out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury and offensive lineman Josh Wells will be out for a while. All three players had been ruled out for the Lions' bout but the timeline for their potential return is now clear.
Injury updates: Doug Pederson tells @jpshadrick that DL Foley Fatukasi is week to week with a foot issue, Antonio Johnson will be out “a few weeks” with a hamstring, and OL Josh Wells will be out “a while.” Pederson didn’t specify Wells exact injury.
— Kainani Stevens (@KainaniStevens) August 19, 2023
Tim Jones still has a steep hill to climb to make the Jaguars' 53-man roster
So far, Jones has provided one of Jaguars' few offensive highlights of the game. As of this writing, neither team hasn't been able to get anything going on offense. Then again, this bout is more about assessing the roster and sorting out the depth chart rather than winning or losing.
In Jones' case, he's got stiff competition to make the roster. Last year, he secured a spot after catching 14 of 17 targets for 219 yards in the preseason. However, he was a non-factor during the regular season, hauling in a measly three receptions for 30 yards.
Now, Jones has to fend off Seth Williams, Jacob Harris, Parker Washington, Kendrick Pryor, Kevin Austin Jr., and Elijah Cooks. Most of them made players against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the preseason but have been relatively quiet against the Lions.
There's still plenty of time for Jones and other players to make an impression against the Lions. It will be up to them to take advantage of their opportunities.
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