Indianapolis Colts Need to Part Ways with Arthur Jones
By Kyle Nishida
Indianapolis Colts’ defensive tackle Arthur Jones was already on the hot seat as training camp approaches. Now, the Colts need to release the veteran after his recent four game suspension for performance enhancing drugs.
On July 22, the NFL announced Arthur Jones will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season. This is just another negative to add to Jones’ disappointing tenure with the Colts.
The Colts signed Jones to a five-year, $33 million deal in the 2014 offseason. In two years, the team has not received a lot of benefits from this specific deal.
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He has only appeared in nine games with all of them coming in the 2014 season. In those nine games, he only recorded 34 combined tackles and 1.5 sacks. Jones has missed the other 23 regular season games because of injuries.
He had a nagging high-ankle sprain in 2014, which caused him to miss seven games. Then, he torn multiple ligaments in his left ankle during the 2015 preseason. As a result, he missed the entire 2015 season.
Jones was supposed to be a full participant at the start of training camp. However, his recent suspension further complicates his relationship with the Colts. Now, the Colts could decide it is not beneficial for them to have in on their training camp roster.
Jones is a liable to the Colts, and it has nothing to do with his play. He is a good player, but he is never able to perform on the field because of injuries and now, a suspension. No team can rely on that sort of player.
Earlier this year, the Indianapolis Colts and Jones agreed to cut Jones’ guaranteed salary this year from $4.5 million to $2.5 million. Jones can make that money back through incentives. However, the pay cut still made Jones much more expendable.
With this recent suspension, the Colts should part ways with Jones. He is a good player, but there is no guarantee he will be on the field for the Colts when they need him the most. Also, they have built some good depth on their defensive line.
Defensive linemen David Parry, Henry Anderson, Zach Kerr, and Kendall Langford are all returning to the team this season. The Colts also drafted Hassan Ridgeway in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, which helped grow their depth even more.
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Indianapolis Colts’ general manager Ryan Grigson has a tough decision to make. Cutting Arthur Jones may seem like an unpopular move because it will still cost the Colts some money. However, it is the correct move. Jones has been an unreliable bust for the Colts since 2014.
The Indianapolis Colts have 89 other players to deal with during training camp. They cannot let the issues of one high-paid player hold them hostage heading into the 2016 regular season.