Byron Jones Improving, Anxious to See Secondary Reach Potential

Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones is hoping to return to action against Seattle this Sunday and move the secondary toward its ultimate potential

The Miami Dolphins had high hopes for their secondary after spending big money in free agency on cornerback Byron Jones and then selecting Noah Igbinoghene with their third of three first-round picks in the 2020 NFL draft.

They just haven't had a chance to see their group operating at full capacity yet.

It won't happen again Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks come to Hard Rock Stadium, but at the very least the Dolphins are hoping they'll have every component available.

The one piece of the puzzle that remains up in the air is Jones, who missed all but four plays of the past two games because of a groin injury, though he was back at practice Thursday and saying afterward he was making clear progress.

“We just have to keep running through the paces," Jones said. "Today was a really good challenge. And tomorrow is going to be a bigger challenge. As you go on, you continue to push yourself and gain confidence. You start at 50 percent, then you go to 65 percent, then 75 percent. It’s just about the work load, the speed, how the recovery is and how I feel the next day. But I’d say we’re on a good track.”

Along with Jones, Xavien Howard has been at less than 100 percent all season, as evidenced by his continuous appearance on the Dolphins injury report.

At full strength, Jones and Howard are among the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and Igbinoghene has shown good potential while experiencing the customary ups and downs that come along with playing the position at the highest level.

The Dolphins obviously are looking forward to their top three cornerbacks at peak efficiency, and Jones sees the potential of the group.

"We're still growing," Jones said. "There is no question about that. We have Noah who is a really talented young rookie. But he hasn't seen a lot. He is one of the most impressive young guys I've seen in a very long time. The way he approaches the game. This kid is here early. He's early with the coach looking at film. The way he practices and approaches practice, it's really impressive for a young guy to understand that.

"When X came back to camp in the first couple of days he had like two or three picks. You can see his playmaking ability right away. So it's going to be special. But it's going to take work. You really have to bond together as a unit. It's not just about having really good players on the roster. You really have to develop a bond and develop that level of communication that can really lead us to a different level. It's a lot more than just the physical talent. It's mental talent. It's trusting each other. It's knowing this person is going to be where he is supposed to be. Knowing you have inside help, outside help, wherever it may be. So we're still developing that. But that's a fun challenge going through the year."

Few challenges will be more difficult for the Dolphins secondary than what they'll be facing against Seattle, with Russell Wilson throwing at least four touchdown passes in every game, winning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice in the first three weeks and being named NFC Offensive Player of the Month.

"They have a really good receiving corps, and it's really the combination of the receiving corps and also the quarterback and how he gets the ball to the receivers," Jones said. "As we've seen in the past three games, they're taking deep shots. They're getting big, explosive plays. As a secondary and really as a defense, our job as s defense is to minimize those deep shots and big plays. They have fast guys, they have strong guys, they have savvy vets. It's really impressive to watch Russell and how he can pinpoint those deep balls. That's something we have to take care of going into the game." 

There's no guarantee yet that Jones will be playing in the game because nobody knows how his body will respond to the work he did Thursday.

But he will be back at some point, and the Dolphins secondary can start building toward fulfilling its potential.

How long that's going to take, Jones has no idea.

“That’s the exciting part … there’s really no timetable on that," he said. "There’s no script to it. As I watch more film with (Howard) and of him, I understand more about the same thing for him watching me. And there’s really no timetable to it. It’s just playing, it’s doing as many reps as you can, talking in the locker room about it, talking off the field about it, talking while you’re on the field about it. Whatever play you saw, how you feel about it, how you’re going to play this, how you’re going to play. It takes time, but there’s no timetable. That’s just something you work on every single day. Every single day, let’s keep working on this, let’s keep getting right, let’s keep preparing so that we can be great.”