Dave Toub Praises Chiefs’ Scouting Department for Finding Cam Jones

Toub is pleased with the progress he's seen from Kansas City's UDFA linebacker find.

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is becoming adept at finding value picks late in the NFL Draft, but he's also improving at scouring the undrafted free agent market for valuable contributors as well.

Back in the spring, Kansas City brought in linebacker Cam Jones fresh off a lengthy stint with the Indiana Hoosiers. Recording 205 tackles throughout his collegiate career, Jones accompanied that with nine passes broken up, eight sacks and a pair of interceptions in the process. The 23-year-old was subsequently inked to a deal carrying a base guarantee of $135,000, which served as a relatively strong indicator that he could be more than just 90-man roster filler in the coming months. 

Getting plenty of reps in training camp and the preseason, Jones finished the league's preparatory three-game slate with 11 tackles (seven of them being solo efforts). In a surprise, he parlayed that success into breaking camp with the team and making the club's initial 53-man roster to start the season. One of a staggering six linebackers on the team, Jones played 18 special teams snaps — 67% of those available — in Kansas City's regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions. 

Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke to the media on Thursday, and he singled out Jones as a player he's glad to have around. In fact, he praised the Chiefs' scouting efforts in finding and landing one of his undrafted rookie standouts. 

"Our scouting department did a great job of finding that guy," Toub said. "He was a guy that was in camp and did a good job, [then] made plays in the preseason. We saw that he could be a good special teams player. The way the numbers worked out that week, we were able to get him up. He's on the 53 going forward. He could be up, he could be down depending on what we do in different spots. I'm pleased with the way he's developing." 

Toub's point about Jones potentially joining and leaving the 53-man roster over the course of the season is likely accurate. After all, Kansas City does have to make room for defensive tackle Chris Jones before Sunday's game and the initial six-linebacker allotment was a shock to many. Nevertheless, Jones is being relied on now as a special-teamer and depth piece along the fringes of the active roster. As the UDFA continues to try and make a name for himself in the NFL, it's apparent that at least one coach is keeping a close eye on his contributions.

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