Denver Broncos: Pacman Jones is better than you might think

The Denver Broncos signed veteran defensive back Pacman Jones, and despite his age, he’s probably a lot better than he’s given credit for.

The Denver Broncos signed veteran cornerback and return specialist Pacman Jones on Sunday, adding some depth to the defensive backfield.

Jones has certainly made his share of headlines off the field since he joined the NFL, but despite it all, he’s managed to have a pretty stellar 11 seasons in the league (two missed seasons due to suspension or other reasons).

His career started off with the Tennessee Titans as a first-round pick where his value as a return specialist was immediately evident.

Jones returned four punts for touchdowns in his first two seasons with the Titans, including three in the 2006 season.

He established himself as an elite return man in the NFL with over 1,100 yards on kick returns in his rookie season, and he became one of just six players in NFL history with 100 career starts and over 5,000 total return yards (h/t to Patrick Smyth for that stat).

In regards to his off-field issues, this interview with Jones earlier in the offseason explaining his recent airport incident shed some important light on how far he has come from the guy he once was.

Since nobody in Denver Broncos Country is following the Cincinnati Bengals very closely, everyone’s wondering what kind of move this has in terms of football impact.

The Broncos obviously haven’t been okay with their depth at cornerback through the first three games of the preseason. This move likely moves a player like C.J. Smith off the roster bubble and a player like Brendan Langley on it.

John Elway and the front office are going to be crunching the numbers and looking for ways to improve the team as best they can, and it was very interesting to read that Jones’ agent, Peter Schaffer, took this move as a sign that Elway and company feel like this team can win a Super Bowl right now.

After the last two preseason games, it’s clear to see that the Broncos will — at worst — be a heck of a lot more competitive this season than they were in 2017.

Jones will help the team as one of the top reserve cornerbacks, but admittedly, I had written him off in his old age as an ineffective player.

Which brings us back to not having an expertise or intimate understanding of how well Jones has done on a play-by-play basis with the Bengals in recent years.

As of 2018, it was pretty stellar.

This article from Pro Football Focus outlines how well Jones has played defensively, and what he’s still capable of doing for a defense given some limitations to his snap count.

Jones will get a chance to make an impact as the fourth cornerback behind Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby, and Tramaine Brock while Isaac Yiadom and Brendan Langley continue to grow.

Jones has a veteran presence and brings toughness to the table and given some of the numbers in that Pro Football Focus piece, it’s clear the Broncos are getting a guy who, at least last year, had plenty left in the tank when utilized properly.

If he can prove to be an asset as a fourth corner and as a return specialist, Jones could be a very underrated addition.