The Miami Dolphins landed one of the top defensive players on the market earlier this month, signing cornerback Byron Jones to a five-year, $82.5 million deal.
But why did Jones join a Dolphins club that won just five games in 2019? He apparently sees a bright future in South Beach:
“What really brought to me Miami was joining a young team and being a catalyst for cultural change,” Jones said during his introductory press conference, via Grant Gordon of NFL.com. “I wanted to be a part of the building of something special. … We've got some ballers, no question about that. I love the prospect of joining a team that's on the come-up. To me, that's exciting.”
Jones was originally selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round (27th pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He started 11 of his 16 appearances during his rookie campaign. Jones finished with 66 tackles and eight passes defended. Jones then became a full-time starter in 2016, totaling 88 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and 10 passes defended.
The 27-year-old eventually made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2018, finally gaining recognition as one of the better cover corners in the league.
Interestingly enough, the Dolphins CB has accumulated just two interceptions in his NFL career and has not registered a pick since 2017. But there is no doubting his overall ability.
The Dolphins were expected by many to be one of the worst teams in history going into 2019. Early on, the Dolphins played the part, losing their first seven games. However, they rebounded by going 5-4 over their last nine contests.
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