Despite huge money waiting for him north of the border, Brett Jones wants to try his hand at the NFL.
According to multiple sources, the Calgary Stampeders offensive lineman is set to sign with an NFL team prior to CFL free agency opening Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.
Jones worked out for a number of teams over the past two months, including the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.
While it’s not quite clear which team the 23-year-old from Weyburn, Sask. has decided on, the Bucs, Giants, Cards, as well as the San Diego Chargers and possibly the Green Bay Packers are still in play.
Jones is subject to the NFL’s undrafted free-agent bonus pool cap of around US$80,000 — the total cash allotment every franchise is granted for bonuses to lure UDFAs each year, which is usually for players fresh out of college, but also applies to players who have never had a look from an NFL team — which will significantly lower the signing bonus he’s able to collect.
Had Jones decided against accepting an NFL offer, he would have been in high demand Tuesday, with sources suggesting a record contract would have been coming his way.
Since being selected in the second round (16th overall) by the Stampeders in the 2013 CFL Draft — Jones fell due to concerns he’d be heading to medical school, which never came to fruition — all the 6-foot-2, 318-pounder has done in two seasons is win the CFL’s top rookie award and the Most Outstanding Lineman Award while starting 35 games at centre and one at left guard.
(Calgary Sun)
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