Philly Sports Jabronis
By Adam Hermann, Eagles.com
After six years in the league, all with the Green Bay Packers, linebacker Brad Jones
had a good idea of what he was looking for in a new team.
“You jump around, you see different teams and shows,” Jones said Monday afternoon. “I think once you get a little older, and I guess at this point in my career, you see past all the pom-poms and you want somewhere real, with integrity. That’s what you focus on.”
That’s how the newest Eagle landed in Philadelphia.
When he made a trip to the NovaCare Complex on the first Monday in March, Jones knew that he found what he was looking for in a new home.
“I came out here and I think that I kind of immediately knew that the atmosphere out here is different than anywhere else,” the former University of Colorado Buffalo said. “The things that are going here, with the staff and with the players, it’s completely different than any other organization I’ve been with. I’m excited.”
In his six years with Green Bay, Jones racked up 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and nearly 200 tackles. He also played a big role on the Packers’ special teams unit, an area where the Eagles dominated the rest of the league in 2014.
After meeting with the coaches, including head coach Chip Kelly, and a handful of players, Jones is still figuring out where he’ll fit on his new team. The biggest opportunity, he said, is the chance to play on a team with a chance to win a lot of games.
“I think it’s what I’ll make of it, honestly. I want to come into this and obviously contribute and be productive,” Jones said. “That’s the whole point of it. I want to be productive, and I want to win games.”
Image Credit: Philadelphia Eagles
When it comes to his individual game, Jones said fans can expect “a lot of intensity, a high motor, and plays being made.
“I think my success has come from just grinding it out,” he explained. “If I’ve been anything, I’ve been focused. I’ve never let anything distract me, and I stay focused on football.”
And it’s going to be pretty easy for Jones to stay focused on football with a coaching staff and organization, he said, that puts its primary emphasis on excelling at the game.
“I think the group of guys and the coaching staff, just everybody [with the Eagles], it’s a different feeling out here,” Jones said with a smile. “It’s good, it’s unique, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
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The 4 PM deadline came and went on Monday without the Eagles using the franchise tag or the transition tag on any of their free agents.
The Eagles have 10 players whose contracts are set to expire on March 10, including seven who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
On Saturday, teams are allowed to begin entering contract negotiations with the agents of other teams’ unrestricted free agents. Free agency begins at 4 PM on March 10.
