Las Vegas Raiders to shake up their secondary by trading or cutting one of Antonio Pierce's defensive cornerstones
The Las Vegas Raiders are making a change in the defensive secondary.According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore, the Raiders will release CB Jack Jones on Monday if they cannot trade him. Jones was a midseason waiver claim in November of 2023, reuniting him with his former high school and college coach, Antonio Pierce. He […]
The Las Vegas Raiders are making a change in the defensive secondary.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore, the Raiders will release CB Jack Jones on Monday if they cannot trade him. Jones was a midseason waiver claim in November of 2023, reuniting him with his former high school and college coach, Antonio Pierce. He quickly established himself as a starter on the defensive side of the ball.
In the past two seasons with the Raiders, Jones appeared in 24 games and started 19. He recorded 94 total tackles, four for loss, 20 passes defended, and five interceptions, including three pick-sixes. He was one of the most productive defensive players for Las Vegas during Antonio Pierce's tenure as head coach.
Typically, this type of report tells us that the Raiders haven't been getting any teams to bite on Jones, despite him being on the trade block. It's a last-gasp attempt at finding an interested party who might want to agree to a trade.
Why are the Raiders moving on from CB Jack Jones?
Jones likely had a target on his back when the Raiders ousted Antonio Pierce as head coach and installed a veteran head coach in Pete Carroll. This isn't just about that single relationship, though. It also extends to his scheme fit.
Everyone knows Carroll's Cover 3 defensive scheme, with a three-deep zone and four underneath defenders. It was popularized during his time with the Seattle Seahawks and The Legion of Boom. The reality for Jones is that, in addition to some effort and character concerns, he's not an excellent fit for the incoming defensive scheme. Yes, they retained Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator, but Carroll has always strongly preferred size in his cornerbacks in the Cover 3. Of course, Jones is 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds.
This move pressures the Raiders to get things right in the 2025 NFL draft. The cornerback position was already one of the team's weaker position groups. Now they're jettisoning a starter, potentially for nothing in return outside of some salary cap space ($3.4 million, if released).
Former Las Vegas Raiders role player from last season is joining forces with their biggest rival
The Raiders will miss him.
