The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a profile on Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones.
Less than three weeks to go.
There are now exactly 20 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.
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We began by previewing the rookie defensive end of the San Diego Chargers in Joey Bosa (No. 99) more than two months ago. On Saturday, it was New York Jets running back No. 22 Matt Forte. You can play catch up here.
When it comes to the No. 20, there are certainly some prominent names when it comes to all-time NFL legends. The Detroit Lions have a pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers in running back Barry Sanders and cornerback Lem Barney. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mel Renfro is also in Canton, a 10-time Pro Bowler during his impressive career.
And who could forget the ball-hawking skills of one-time Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed? His 64 career regular-season history ranks seventh in NFL history (and his nine postseason picks are tied for the most in league annals).
Speaking of that position, here we will focus on current Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, who comes off his first Pro Bowl campaign. It’s hard to have a more complete season than the six-year pro enjoyed in 2015.
He totaled a career-high and team-best 135 tackles and amassed six of the team’s 16 takeaways. That includes five interceptions, two returned for scores. Add in 10 passes defensed and a pair of sacks and it was quite the showing for the 2010 fifth-round pick from the University of Georgia.
In his last four seasons with the franchise, Jones has picked off 13 passes, forced three fumbles, knocked down 30 passes and racked up 5.5 sacks.
A year ago, the Dolphins finished a disappointing 25th in the league in total defense. So it’s safe to say that the emerging Jones was a definitive bright spot during a troubling season. But with additions such as defensive ends Mario Williams and Andre Branch, this could be a unit on the rise. And Miami’s six-year safety could be one of the leaders of a highly-improved unit in 2016.
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And if the Dolphins (now led by head coach Adam Gase) do manage to make a return to the playoffs for the first time since ’08, Jones and his defensive counterparts will be a major reason why.