Seahawks Add Safety Depth, Sign Josh Jones to Practice Squad

Needing insurance at both safety spots, Jones provides a big-bodied, hard-hitting alternative at strong safety and could receive a game day elevation as early as this weekend to back up Ryan Neal.

With reserve defensive back Gavin Heslop heading to injured reserve following surgery to repair a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg suffered during Sunday's win over the Texans, the Seahawks filled a practice squad vacancy by signing veteran safety Josh Jones on Wednesday.

Jones, 27, broke into the league as a second-round pick for the Packers in 2017 and earned immediate playing time. Appearing in 16 games as a rookie, including making seven starts, he produced 71 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and five pass breakups. After making five starts in 13 games in 2018, the team released him in August 2019 with a non-football illness designation.

Latching on with the Cowboys practice squad shortly after, Jones played in six games before being released in December and the Jaguars quickly claimed him off waivers. He earned a starting job out of training camp in 2020 and started a career-high 13 games last year, producing 83 tackles and an interception.

With a new coaching staff in place, Jacksonville re-signed Jones back in March, but he didn't make the 53-man roster and was released during final cuts. After nearly two months on the free agent market, Indianapolis signed him to its practice squad in October and promoted to the active roster in early November. He dressed for six games and produced five tackles before being waived on December 4.

Coming out of North Carolina State, Jones tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and posting a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. Known for his physicality, he amassed 229 tackles and 3.5 sacks at the college level while also adding eight interceptions and 17 pass breakups.

Unfortunately, those coverage and ball skills haven't translated to the NFL, which has played a key role in Jones bouncing around. Last year, per Pro Football Focus, he allowed 29 receptions on 33 targets for 339 yards and four touchdowns while opposing passers posted a 136.4 passer rating when targeting him. In 54 career games, he has just two interceptions and eight pass breakups.

But Jones has played the bulk of his snaps in the box and he's been a reliable tackler everywhere he's been with 379 combined tackles. Given his size and overall skill set, with the Seahawks desperate for depth after losing Jamal Adams for the season earlier this month, he will have a chance to play himself into game day opportunities as a backup strong safety behind Ryan Neal in the final four weeks of the season.