Patriots amongst several teams interested in Arthur Jones


I've advocated for the Patriots to make a push to sign free agent defensive lineman Arthur Jones several times on this site. It looks like the Pats are interested in reuniting Chandler Jones with his older brother.
Jones would be an intriguing fit in New England because of his versatility. Jones was listed as a defensive end in Baltimore, but he often shifted his 6'3", 315 body inside, where his combination of quickness and power makes him a load to contain for guards. With the Patriots needing depth at both defensive end and tackle, signing Jones could be a way to kill two birds with one stone.

Of course, the Patriots sniffing around Jones now doesn't necessarily mean they'll be signing the former Raven. The Patriots like to use the three day "legal tampering" period to get a good feel for player markets around the league, casting as wide a net as possible. Once armed with that knowledge, they'll have a better sense of which investments to pursuit and which to abandon.

While I love the fit from a pure football standpoint, I think the market for Jones will prove to be a little to rich for the Patriots liking. Jones is a good player, but with that many team's competing for his services, he's bound to become overpaid. It is, after all, a buyers market, and we've already seen role players get paid like accomplished starters (I'm looking at you and your $42 million over five years, Everson Griffin). As much as I'd like to see Jones in New England, it's hard to imagine the Patriots winning a bidding war for him.

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