The New England Patriots opted not to use their franchise tag on Jonathan Jones, meaning the veteran cornerback is one step closer to hitting the open market.
Jones, who was not expected to be given the tag for one year and $18.1 million, still could return to New England on a long-term contract. The Patriots have less than a week to finalize a new deal before other teams can communicate with Jones starting March 13. Bill Belichick and company reportedly have been working on an extension with Jones.
But should New England not be able to come to terms before the legal tampering period, Jones is expected to have a robust market. NFL Network's Mike Giardi reported Tuesday the expectation is there will be a "number of suitors."
Perhaps the Minnesota Vikings will be among those interested teams.
Football Outsiders' Aaron Schatz published a column for ESPN on Wednesday and included Jones as the one player the Vikings "must sign." Schatz noted how three of Minnesota's top four cornerbacks in terms of 2022 snap counts are impending free agents.
"Jones is an excellent veteran addition who has excelled in the slot but also played well outside last season," Schatz wrote, referencing how Jones ranked 17th among qualifying cornerbacks in coverage success rate.
Minnesota certainly should try to improve its defense this offseason after allowing the second-most passing yards and 28th-most points in the league last season. The hiring of Brian Flores as the team's defensive coordinator could go a long way in that improvement, and adding one of the league's best free-agent corners is an additional way to do so. Minnesota, however, has below the league average in cap space entering the 2023 offseason.
Jones has expressed how he would like to re-sign with the Patriots. We'll see if the homegrown defensive back gets his wish very soon.
