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New England has been looking to shore up their defensive line for a while and they've made another move to solidify the unit. The Patriots have claimed DT Chris Jones off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is Jones' second move, as the Bucs had claimed the rookie 6th round pick off waivers from the Houston Texans. The Patriots tried to claim Jones before, but the Bucs had the higher priority.
The Patriots have released OG Josh Kline to make this move.
The 6'2, 302 lbs Jones comes from a smaller school background of Bowling Green, but there is no question he excelled on the field. He boasts a 5.10s 40 (same as Vince Wilfork), his 8'9 broad jump shows great explosion (matches Tommy Kelly for best on the team), and his 7.34s three cone drill on a bum ankle at the combine shows his exceptional agility (best out of the DTs on the roster).
His college production also speaks for itself. A two-time captain, a two-time First Team All-MAC, and the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Jones made a couple All American teams as a senior. He played in 50 straight games, making 44 starts, notching 28 sacks, 46 tackles for loss, and 6 forced fumbles. His senior year was a 42 tackle, 12.5 sack, and 19 TFL campaign.
Click here to see him play against Virginia Tech. He plays every spot on the DL (DT, NT, 3-4 DE) and has varying amounts of success. He's a raw prospect, but he has a lot to work with.
Oh, and his middle name is "Dwightstone", so there's that.