Byron Jones is the top cornerback in 2020 NFL free agency. The Jets and Eagles could use cornerbacks to improve their defenses. That doesn't mean it makes sense for either team to pay what it reportedly will cost to sign Jones.
Based on supply and demand, Jones is expected to reset the corner market, earning a record $16 million-to-$18 million in annual salary, per NFL Media. That would best what the Dolphins gave Xavien Howard ($75.5 million over five years) in an contract extension last May.
Jones, the Cowboys' first-round pick in 2015, has blossomed into a sound cover man after moving from safety in 2018. He has blended his size (6-1, 200 pounds) and track-star athleticism well to contain receivers. He was named a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro in 2018, following it up with a strong 2019.
With that said, he also is hitting his age-28 season and has only two career interceptions. Pro Football Focus had seven cornerbacks in its top 100 player rankings for the 2019 season. Jones was not one of them.
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The best cornerback signing during last year's free agency period was Stephen Nelson, who the Steelers got for a relative bargain at $25.5 million over three years. Richard Sherman (49ers), Stephon Gilmore (Patriots) and Casey Hayward (Chargers) have turned out to be good recent free-agent values for their teams, too.
Jones is good, but his play does not merit his getting paid significantly more than all of the players mentioned above — even when considering inflated market value and a greater salary cap in play. He is not a transcendent player for a defense, more solid than spectacular.
The Jets reportedly are cutting ties with cornerback Trumaine Johnson after badly overpaying him in free agency two years ago. The Eagles have their own cautionary tale in their signing of Nnamdi Asomugha in 2012.
More often than not, big cornerback contracts don't yield desired returns, especially when there's an air of desperation to make the deal. The Jaguars got one strong season from A.J. Bouye before trading him this offseason. The Redskins got average play from Josh Norman before cutting him this offseason.
The Ravens got a productive Marcus Peters from the Rams in a midseason trade, but given his past volatility as a playmaker who also tends to give up big plays, Los Angeles is unlikely to get the same return after investing $42 million over three years in a December contract extension for the corner.
The Jets have a bad cornerback unit, but that includes both sides and their nickel package. Jones can do only so much, especially with their edge rush being a big issue, too. Getting better at pressuring the QB should be of higher concern in New York than locking more than third of their available salary cap space into a player who is capped in his ability to help their defense.
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The need isn't as dire for the Eagles, even with Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills as pending free agents. Their young mix of corners performed better down the stretch last season, and they need to be more concerned about re-signing one safety (Rodney McLeod) and restructuring the deal of the other (Malcolm Jenkins). Elsewhere defensively, Philadelphia has big questions at linebacker, and the depth of the front four needs to be addressed.
A big part of Jones' value that can't be overlooked is his ability to play safety when needed. But neither the Jets (Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye) nor the Eagles (McLeod and Jenkins) need much of that ability. Philadelphia (around $42 million) has even less cap space than New York (around $49 million). Paying so much to get Jones away from Dallas isn't in the best interest of either team.
Through all the big cornerback moves over the past several years, only the Patriots, with calculated moves for Gilmore (in 2017) and Darrelle Revis (in 2014), parlayed big free-agent pursuit at the position into Super Bowl rings.
Las Vegas, with a little more cap space ($56 million) and operating with a much cheaper and younger defense, is the best team in position to gamble big on Jones. Heck, the Cowboys, even with their need to pay Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, have enough room under the cap ($75 million) to make Jones work, but they aren't willing to push the top of the market to keep him.
The Jets and Eagles can't do anything to get Jones away from his top money. They just need to avoid being the ones giving him the big green.
