New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek made sweeping changes for the Las Vegas Raiders in their first offseason at the helm. Not only is the offense completely different, but the defense is basically unrecognizable from a year ago, beyond the defensive line.
From the back half of the defense, only cornerback Jakorian Bennett remains among the starters from Week 1 last season. Gone are both starting safeties, both starting linebackers, and two of the team's three starting cornerbacks from the last two seasons.
Nate Hobbs was the heartbreaking departure for most of Raider Nation, but fans had mixed feelings about the release of cornerback Jack Jones before the 2025 NFL Draft. On the one hand, he was an inconsistent player, but on the other, he was incredibly talented and could have learned under Carroll.
Former Raider Jack Jones deserves another shot in the NFL
At this point in the offseason, however, a reunion with Jones seems wildly unlikely. It is more plausible that Las Vegas signs a slot corner like Mike Hilton or an established veteran like Stephon Gilmore, not a tweener like Jones.
However, Jones deserves another shot in the NFL, even if that is not with the Silver and Black. His ball skills are something that most coaches cannot teach, and his ability to make big plays can change the outcome of games.
Jones needs to find a coach who understands him, like former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce did. If he can learn not to bite on double moves or to take fewer gambles, he would give up fewer touchdowns and be able to contribute significantly to a good NFL defense.
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While there are still some outstanding concerns about his character or off-the-field issues, in my opinion, those seem to be resolved. His departure from the Raiders was merely football-related, and he displayed his maturity and new approach on an episode of "The Pivot Podcast" last month.
Teams like the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals could all benefit from adding an electrifying cornerback like Jones. He would also come at an incredibly cheap price at this juncture in the offseason, so a flier on him would be a no-brainer.
Obviously, his fit within the schemes of each of those defenses would need to be good for a team to justify bringing him in. But it is hard to imagine a defensive coordinator not wanting to take on the challenge of developing one of the NFL's most talented cornerbacks.
Jones' tenure with the Silver and Black will always be highlighted by his jaw-dropping pick-six against the Chargers, as well as his house calls on passes by Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. Just because things didn't work out in Las Vegas, however, does not mean that Jones' NFL career is over.