Sidney Jones Prepares for the ‘Right’ Run

Eagles cornerback understands he must prove himself this season, and is aiming to do that

Whenever things get back to a sense of normalcy around the NFL, Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones will get one final opportunity to prove he is what he was once billed when coming out of the University of Washington.

Jones was pegged by most NFL scouts as a potential top-15 pick and in the conversation for the No. 2 CB in the 2017 class behind New Orleans star Marshon Lattimore. That all changed toward the end of his pro day in March of that year when Jones suffered a torn Achilles.

The guarantee of millions turned to uncertainty but the ceiling was so high the Eagles decided to roll the dice on Jones in the second round at No. 43 overall and wait.

The Los Angeles-area native essentially redshirted his rookie season, making it back for a meaningless Week 17 cameo during Philadelphia’s run toward Super Bowl LII.

By the 2018 season, it was time for Jones to give the Eagles what they desperately needed, a true CB1. Philly is still waiting, as Jones has continued to struggle with injuries while falling deeper and deeper into the abyss when it comes to Jim Schwartz’s confidence meter.

At times last season the Philadelphia defensive coordinator seemed to trust Craig James, a practice-squad promotee after a failed stint as an undrafted free agent In Minnesota, more than Jones.

The fall was precipitous and the subsequent climb will be a tough one.

The Eagles went on the trade market to get a proven CB1 in Darius Slay and also were able to bring in a top-tier nickel corner in Nickell Robey-Coleman. The offseason plan is to kick the undersized Avonte Maddox outside opposite Slay, leaving Jones as a backup pushing for playing time in what will be the final year of his rookie deal.

Howie Roseman is like every other general manager in the NFL in that he wants his premium picks to succeed but even he put the writing plainly on the wall.

“It’s time to prove it,” Roseman said when discussing Jones this spring.

For what it’s worth Jones seems to be staying positive as he gears up for a final run of building a legacy in Philadelphia.

“Adversity builds character," Jones told NBCSports Philadelphia’s John Clark in a recent video interview. "I feel like I have weathered the storm. I am ready to show what I can do and prove it."

Jones has been working to stay in shape in Texas with Ronnie Braxton, the resident trainer for the stars when it comes to defensive backs in the NFL.

That’s notable when you think about Sean Payton’s game plan against the Philadelphia defense in 2018 when the New Orleans coach allowed Peter King to embed during the process. The plan was to target No. 22 (Jones) twice in the opening seven plays because Payton believed he wouldn’t hold up.

Maybe Payton wasn’t Nostradamus but he sure proved prophetic as the first play was a run toward Jones, who was in the slot, and Schwartz’s defense was gashed. Jones also didn’t hold up, tapping out to a persistent hamstring issue.

"I’m not going to lie,” said Jones when asked about his confidence waning. “But you’ve got to keep pushing through it and that’s where I’m at right now, working with everybody in my circle that’s getting me back right."

And ‘right’ means translating that top-15 skill set into production

“There’s a whole lot left, that’s all I can tell you,” Jones said. “You haven’t seen nothing yet,"

John McMullen covers the Eagles for SI.com. You can listen to John every day at 4 ET on SIRIUSXM and ESPN 97.3 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen