Report: Seahawks Agree to Terms With Veteran CB Sidney Jones
Heading into the offseason, the Seahawks made keeping their secondary together a top priority. So far, they're off to a good start fulfilling that mission.
After agreeing to terms with safety Quandre Diggs on a three-year deal, per NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo, Seattle has agreed to terms with cornerback Sidney Jones on a one-year deal worth $3.6 million. Through incentives, the deal can be worth up to $4.4 million.
Jones, 26, joined the Seahawks in early September after the team dealt a sixth-round pick to the Jaguars to acquire him. By Week 4, he supplanted veteran Tre Flowers in the starting lineup and D.J. Reed slid back to the right cornerback spot. Initially, the Washington product struggled, allowing two touchdown receptions in his first start against the 49ers. Eventually, he returned to the bench in favor of rookie Tre Brown, who made his first career start against the Jaguars in Week 8.
But after Brown went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 11 and Jones stepped back into the lineup across from Reed, he played the best football of his five-year NFL career down the stretch. Over his final six games, he allowed only a 58.3 completion rate, less than 8.5 yards per reception, and no touchdowns in coverage. Quarterbacks posted a 71.2 rating when targeting him, fourth-best among corners with at least 225 coverage reps during that span per Pro Football Focus.
Jones also made notable strides as a tackler, playing with far better physicality than expected defending the run as well as screens. He finished with a career-best 66 tackles and only missed six tackles in 16 games.
With Brown expected to be fully recovered from patellar tendon surgery and the Seahawks still working on trying to re-sign D.J. Reed, it remains to be seen where Jones will fit into the team's plans in 2022. But by re-signing him to a one-year deal, he should be in line to compete for a starting role in training camp.