Ernest Jones’ stock has been on a steady rise since the moment he was drafted in the third round three years ago. He went from a role player as a rookie to becoming the leader of the defense in 2023, and his importance this year is only going to increase with Aaron Donald and Jordan Fuller – two captains last season – no longer in the picture.
This season will be the most important of Jones’ career thus far because it’s the final year of his rookie contract. That means he’ll be a free agent next March if no extension gets done before then.
The Rams chose not to give Jones a new deal this offseason, making him play out the final year of his contract. That may actually work in Jones’ favor if he turns in a big year because it’ll only drive up the price of his next deal.
He told Adam Grosbard of the OC Register that while he would love to stay with the Rams long-term, he also knows the NFL is a business and it might be out of his control.
“I know that the work that I’ve put in these past three years, I know I’m worthy of something regardless what the worth may be,” Jones said. “I just want to put together a great year. I love to be in L.A., I really want to be here. This is truly where I want to keep my family at, grow my family here. But I also know that there’s a business side of it too that I can’t truly control. We’ll see. Hopefully we can get something done and I can be here for years to come. … And I’m up for the challenge.
“I play football and I’m just excited. I show them another year and I put on another year better than before, that just means that the price goes up.”
Jones may not get national attention as one of the better linebackers in football, but he was a huge part of the defense last season. He was a stout run defender and a terrific blitzer, frequently finding ways to pressure opposing quarterbacks even if he didn’t get home for the sack. His 83.1 pass-rush grade was second on the team, behind only Donald. His 37 total pressures were more than any other inside linebacker in the NFL.
He could improve in coverage, which will hopefully occur after he lost about 16 pounds. He told Grosbard that his lighter weight (234 pounds) helps with the pressure put on his knee, and it should also allow him to play faster when ranging sideline to sideline.
He took a page from Donald’s book in terms of training hard and eating right.
“I don’t know why it took me so long to apply it to myself, but everything I’ve seen him do, I’m mimicking and trying to do it myself,” Jones said. “The extra workouts, the extra recovery, the taking care of my body. I’m doing that more than ever now.”
Losing Donald will certainly hurt the Rams defense, but with a player like Jones in the middle, it won’t be lacking guidance and leadership.
