Jarvis Jones could never live up to hype
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Jarvis Jones never did seem to fit the mold of a great Steelers linebacker. That鈥檚 not necessarily a bad thing.
I was reminded of that following a spring practice a couple of years ago when Jones was walking off the field and stopped to commiserate with a team employee who was showing off her new-born baby to co-workers. The good-natured Jones stood over the carriage, making goo-goo noises and funny faces, while reaching in to tickle the infant.
Could be wrong, but somehow I just couldn鈥檛 envision Jack Lambert or Greg Lloyd or James Harrison or Joey Porter doing the same thing at age 22 or 23.
Surely there will be more than a few today who will declare Jones a first-round 鈥渂ust.鈥� Fair enough, given that the 17th overall pick in 2013 produced just five sacks in his first five seasons with the Steelers.
But I鈥檒l always remember that scene after that spring practice. Admittedly, I have a bit of a soft spot for the guys who came into the league in 2013, my first year covering the Steelers for The Times.
On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh chapter of Jones鈥� career came to an end when he reportedly signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an unrestricted free agent.
In reality, Jones鈥� run in Pittsburgh came to an end 10 months ago when the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option. If not then, it had to be after the Steelers鈥� Week 10 loss in Dallas when his blown assignment led to Ezekiel Elliott鈥檚 game-winning TD run in the final minute of play. That was the last game Jones started, giving way to James Harrison, the man he was drafted to replace five years earlier.
But 鈥渂ust鈥� wouldn鈥檛 be a totally accurate description for Jones.
Dion Jordan, the No. 3 overall pick in 2013, the guy who had one start in 2014? That鈥檚 a bust.
A bust doesn鈥檛 last five years and certainly doesn鈥檛 earn a second contract in the NFL. No, Jones is far more like Ziggy Hood, the defensive end the Steelers selected with the final pick in the first round in 2009. Hood is still good enough to be in the league but never quite lived up the advanced billing either.
Truth is, Jones鈥� career was a mixed bag. He was a capable run stopper but was never going to match the sack total he did in college when he recorded 28 sacks in three seasons.
Much like fellow Class of 2013 draft pick Markus Wheaton, who signed with Chicago last week, Jones indeed has talent and a change of scenery, a different scheme, could serve him well.
Before suffering a dislocated wrist in Week 3 of the 2014 season, Jones appeared to have turned a corner. In that game at Carolina, Jones recorded his second sack of the season but was injured on the play and missed the next nine weeks. That game forced the Steelers to coax James Harrison out of retirement. Once Harrison was back in the fold, Jones could never emerge from the Steelers鈥� all-time sacks leader鈥檚 considerable shadow.
Yes, Jones started 15 games in 2015 and nine more in 鈥�16 as part of a near 50/50 rotation, but his confidence appeared shot. Though he was fighting a losing battle with fans and media, Jones remained a pro throughout, as affable answering questions about his demotion as he was that day while playing with a baby after practice.
From the Steelers鈥� draft class of 2013, only Le鈥橵eon Bell (second round), Landry Jones (fourth) and Vince Williams (sixth) remain on the roster.
It remains to be seen how good of a player the Arizona Cardinals are getting in Jarvis Jones, but they are getting a pretty good guy.