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12 Feb 2010

Bengals Sign Matt Jones

And yes, they've also given Pacman Jones a tryout and may be interested in Donte Stallworth. Sometimes, this stuff almost writes itself ... though Matt Jones seems to be a risk worth taking for a team in need of downfield speed and a complementary threat for Senor Esteban Ochocinco.

Posted by: Doug Farrar on 12 Feb 2010

28 comments, Last at 18 Feb 2010, 4:57pm by Nathan

Comments

1
by TheSlinger :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:21pm

Matt Jones does NOT have downfield speed, 4.3 40 be damned, he's the poster boy for why 40 times are overrated. Game speed just isn't anywhere close to that.

3
by Nathan :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:27pm

I get what you're saying but pads or no pads, show me another 6'6" 240 lb guy who can break 4.4 and I'll give you a dollar. That tends to intrigue people.

19
by C (not verified) :: Sat, 02/13/2010 - 12:04pm

This is why I hate video games and combine buzz...

The first thing you ever hear about with Matt Jones is that he ran a 4.3. That's the first and one of the only thing you hear about with Matt Jones.

The guy is VERY fast with straight line speed, but he is NOT as agile ( it's hard to be shifty when you are 6'6), and I've noticed his game speed is NOT good with acceleration. He has big choppy steps that can be more easily cut off by a smaller quick DB playing in front of him. A shorter quick DB can really slow him down and it's something he has to work on. If there is NO corner moderately pressed in front of him I do think he's one of the faster guys in the league.

The funny thing about Jones is that he's a deeper threat, and his game more mirrors Chris Henry. They replace one trouble maker with another trouble maker ( Matt Jones caught with Cocaine). What's with the Bengals bringing in trouble makers??? They are bringing in Pac Macn Jones for a workout???

It seems like on defense ( at least with Zimmer), they like the cast aways and the cast away angle. " Nobody wanted you guys, but we'll workhard and show THEM". I liked watching the making of the team with the Bengals and thought they would be good last year but after watching the show I *didn't* think they would be good anymore.

Matt Jones was a 1st round pick because of his height, speed, and knowledge of offense... He was the starting QB ar Arkansas and Tavaras Jackson would never start in front of him so he had to transfer out ( that says a lot IMO). Playing WR in the NFL is one of the hardest positions and being a college QB will help you with the more mental aspects of the position.

If Jones kept his nose clean... I actually like the signing, but the last thing the Bengals need is another guy that's been in trouble that is more likely to get arrested. Bringing in Pac Man and Matt Jones is not a very good idea from that standpoint. I think Starvin Marvin knows his clock is ticking though, and that he has to win now or else he's done.

27
by Nathan :: Wed, 02/17/2010 - 10:17pm

From the horse's mouth:

“It was one of the worst workouts I have ever seen,” one of the sources said. “I don’t care how fast his 40 time is or was, he’s a slow-twitch athlete.”

What that means is that Jones, who is a repeat offender in the NFL’s substance abuse program and did not play in 2009, doesn’t move very quickly over short areas, such as the 10- and 20-yard areas where most pass routes are run. That’s a major reason why Jones had only one season with more than 41 receptions in his four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being the No. 21 overall pick.

“He obviously has great size, but not even that is much of an advantage when you don’t move very fast,” the other source said. “He’s not really the solution to what we need.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-directsnap021610&prov=yhoo&type...

2
by Nathan :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:21pm

This makes perfect sense for the Bengals (not a joke, I mean football sense) and I was surprised nobody gave Moonshine a chance this year considering the numbers he put up in 12 games in 2008. He is a physical freak of nature.

4
by Dean :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:28pm

I was expecting Donte Stallworth. But Jones is younger, faster, bigger, and has a longer rap sheet. The only advantage Stallworth has is that he was actually at one point a productive receiver.

5
by Nathan :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:30pm

Jones isn't faster than Stallworth unless you're averaging in strained hamstrings. Stallworth ran a 4.3 flat.

8
by Dean :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:47pm

First of all, any 40 time anybody ran at a scouting combine is complete garbage. Neither one of them ever ran a legitimate 4.3. Neither did Chris Johnson, Deion Sanders, or anyone else you'd care to name. But that's a totally different topic.

Having said that, Stallworth did have blazing speed coming out of college. He's still fast, but you have to factor age and injuries. Stallworth at 22 might have been faster then Jones at 22, but if he and Matt Jones ran a race today, I'd put my money on Jones.

9
by Nathan :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:57pm

Bob Hayes?

11
by Dean :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 3:16pm

Nope. Not Bob Hayes, either.

Here, read this. It'll explain things more clearly then I can, and save me a bunch of typing.

http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/sports/20050418-9999-1s18forty.html

12
by Nathan :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 3:37pm

Yeah I knew about the timing issues I just wanted to be a smartass and name the one NFL player who may have actually had a shot cause he ran an Olympic 60 in 5.9.

But as long as we're comparing apples to apples (Stallworth's 4.29 to Jones' 4.38) it doesn't matter, as you pointed out.

In other news I miss football already.

13
by Dean :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 3:43pm

Got that right.

BTW - I don't have a source on it, but I gather that after 20+ years, Johnson's times have finally been topped by Usain Bolt.

And I do have to admit that I was kinda hoping the thread would get hijacked onto a tangent, just so that there'd be more to talk about.

Maybe some troll will come along and swear that all our fuzzy math is wrong and Johnson is da man or da bomb or whatever and so if he says he ran a 4.1 then he must have run a 4.1 and logic be damned.

6
by andrew :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:44pm

He's not that fast, but he's so tall you can throw the ball as if he were farther down field.

7
by Temo :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 2:46pm

Positive spin: The Bengals are taking advantage of a market inefficiency.

21
by Whatev (not verified) :: Sat, 02/13/2010 - 3:30pm

The legend continues!

10
by Hari-Kiri Bengals Fan (not verified) :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 3:09pm

This is usually the time of year that we waste millions by franchising players like Justin "Even I can't believe they took me over LT" Smith, Stacey "Turnstile" Andrews, or Shayne "Shank" Graham. This year, we're wasting far less, and we might actually get something in return.

I can only assume that Marvin somehow tricked Mike Brown into thinking that the franchise tag went away with the cap, and sent him tottering back to bed.

14
by coboney :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 5:51pm

As a 49ers fan who watched Smith this year I can say while he`s not LT good he is very good.

22
by greybeard :: Sat, 02/13/2010 - 8:52pm

Agreed. IMO Justin Smith is worthy of the franchise tag. At least with his play with 49ers. I did not watch him when he was with Bengals. Was not as good when he was there?

26
by Ryan Mc (not verified) :: Sun, 02/14/2010 - 11:06pm

He was miscast as an outside speed rusher in a 4-3. The 9ers occasionally use him that way, too, and he seems just as ineffective when I've watched. However, they also use him inside as a DT in 4-3 alignments and DE in 3-4 alignments and he is far more effective in these roles.

24
by Brendan Scolari :: Sun, 02/14/2010 - 3:55pm

Yeah, Smith was dominant this year, he's a fricken stud. PFF rated him as the best 3-4 DE in the NFL, there's no way he deserves to be grouped with Shayne Graham, and he's certainly worthy of the franchise tag (at least now he is).

15
by R. Carney (not verified) :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 6:33pm

Looks like the Bengals are going with the Cincinattica routine again. Don't be surprised to see Stallworth, too.

16
by Blotzphoto :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 8:55pm

To quote a great Ferro-American- "Bite my Shiny Metal Ass"

Seriously, go to hell

18
by Treima (not verified) :: Sat, 02/13/2010 - 2:50am

Is such flaming really necessary? He's just stating a merited opinion.

17
by davepyne :: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 10:48pm

Matt Jones has skills. A risk, but worth the risk in my opinion. At least he never killed anyone.

20
by Will Allen (not verified) :: Sat, 02/13/2010 - 12:40pm

I bet a guy with that sort of physical talent could put on 20 pounds of muscle, not lose very much speed, and be a helluva tight end. Of course, that guy would also like hitting, and not mind being hit, by people just as big, and sometimes bigger, than he is. Never mind.

28
by Nathan :: Thu, 02/18/2010 - 4:57pm

Nice call dude...

From PFT:

Matt Jones used to play quarterback, converted to wide receiver as a pro, and now might be headed to tight end.

Carlos "Big C" Holmes of the Dayton Daily News writes that the Bengals like Jones' size and plan to move him closer to the line of scrimmage.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ben...

23
by Samson151 (not verified) :: Sun, 02/14/2010 - 11:41am

Jones was the ultimate draft workout warrior, a guy who blew everyone away with his 40 time and shot up the draft boards. He's the sort of project Marvin Lewis likes, because he'll be loyal. Carson Palmer will like throwing to the guy. But as to whether the Bengals will be better next year -- that's still anybody's guess.

25
by Theo :: Sun, 02/14/2010 - 5:04pm

20 cathes, 3 TDs 350 yards. Tops. Nothing special. No upside.

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