Colts Claim Running Back Matt Jones Off Waivers
By Andrew Ites
The Colts were looking to add some juice to their backfield this offseason, so they’ve picked up Matt Jones off of waivers after he was cut by Washington.
Frank Gore is heading into his 13th NFL season at 34 years old. Robert Turbin has been a career backup, and may not be healthy enough to play in Week 1. Marlon Mack looked extremely promising in the preseason, but he will need some time to adjust to the NFL as a fourth-round rookie.
After cutting Josh Ferguson, these were the three running backs left on the Colts’ 53-man roster heading into the season.
The Colts must’ve known they could find a viable running back on the waiver wire when they cut Ferguson, and they’ve done just that in claiming Matt Jones.
Next: Colts Announce Full List of Roster Cuts
Jones is a former third round draft pick who wore how out his welcome a bit in Washington.
He showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie in 2015 with 490 yards rushing and 304 receiving yards, and he began last year as the starting running back increasing his efficiency running the ball (4.6 yards per carry) while rushing for 460 yards in seven games.
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Jones then fell out of favor with the Redskins’ coaching staff. He had fumbled the ball 8 times in his 270 NFL touches, but that shouldn’t have been bad enough to basically ban him from the field. There had to be something else going on that the media doesn’t know about.
Jones will be given a fresh start in Indianapolis, and the Colts add some much-needed talent in their backfield making this a great move for both sides.