Jones to Buffalo?

[CusefaninAR]

I have been receiving calls from friends back in Buffalo and Rochester that the breaking story on Sportsradio WGR 550AM is that the Bills are making a strong push for Miami's #2 overall pick in this year's draft, since they traded their first round pick to Dallas in order to draft JP Losman last year.  The Bills are trying to package this year's third round pick, next year's first round pick, and Travis Henry to the Dolphins for their second overall pick.  Apparently, they are planning to move Jason Peters to TE for the upcoming season, and he has been telling anyone who would listen about Matt Jones.  The Bills are trying to build off the momentum of finishing last year 9-3 after starting 0-4.  I was shocked to hear this, but it makes sense when you consider it will free up Eric Moulds, and also Mike Malarkey has worked with converted college QB's when he was offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh.  The word is he is drooling over the possibilities MJ presents.  Here are a couple links.  Will this make MJ the highest Razorback player ever drafted?  Have they ever had a #1 overall pick?  In my opinion, this will help out recruiting and national exposure in a HUGE way.

Here's the story from Rochester:

The X-factor: Jones' athleticism has Bills, other NFL teams intrigued


Leo Roth
Staff writer


(April 18, 2005) — ORCHARD PARK — At 6-feet-5, 239 pounds with 4.37 speed in the 40-yard dash, he has the best size-to-speed ratio in this weekend's NFL draft.

He can play quarterback, tight end or wide receiver.

Heck, he can long snap, return punts and even play free safety against the Hail Mary.

Introducing Matt Jones, who has been called the salary cap bargain of 2005, a player many experts believe would be an intriguing fit for the Buffalo Bills with the 55th overall pick.

That's if Jones is still available.

The University of Arkansas quarterback doesn't have the arm or accuracy to start at that position in the NFL. But he's among the best pure athletes to come out of college in years and has the potential to become a dominating tight end or wide receiver.

Bills coach Mike Mularkey has a history of converting college quarterbacks into productive NFL receivers, doing so with Hines Ward (Georgia) and Antwaan Randle El (Indiana) in Pittsburgh.

Last season with the Bills, Mularkey used defensive linemen as blockers and cornerbacks on reverse plays to juice up his offense. There's no limit to what his mind could do with Jones, nicknamed "The Matthlete."

"You could do a lot of things with him, create all kinds of mismatch problems," said Bills scout Shawn Heinlen, who has Arkansas in his territory. "With Coach Mularkey's scheme, he likes to throw wrinkles into the offense and Jones is a kid he'd love to have. He can create nightmares for defenses trying to scheme him."

That was the case last season with 6-5 Drew Bennett of the Tennessee Titans. The undrafted free-agent quarterback from UCLA, who converted to wide receiver, blossomed in his fourth year with 80 catches for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The key question concerning Jones is can a team afford to develop him? If a club has an urgent need to fill, then picking him on day one will be considered a gamble. The Bills need offensive and defensive linemen. Their need at tight end is not as desperate with Mark Campbell and Tim Euhus, a fourth-round pick a year ago, recovering well from knee surgeries.

Jones could upgrade Buffalo's red-zone offense, with many experts asking how a 5-9 corner or 5-11 strong safety would cover him from the slot or as a tight end sent in motion? Jones starts tall and gets taller with his 39 1/2-inch vertical leap.

"He can jump. He can catch the ball. It's just hard to figure out where you're going to play him," Bills general manager Tom Donahoe said. "Wherever it is, it's going to be a new position for him."

Donahoe said his staff, when building its draft board, would have a lot "of discussion on him when we get to that position, wherever that position is."

But so is every team. The Steelers are looking for a tall target to offset the loss of Plaxico Burress (New York Giants). Houston is looking for someone to complement Pro Bowler Andre Johnson. Philadelphia, which has two second-round picks, has the luxury to spend one on Jones as another weapon for Donovan McNabb.

Has Jones risen to second-round or even low first-round status?

"It depends on individual teams, how they see him, how quickly they believe he can contribute," Donahoe said. "But it's not out of the question that he could go in the second round."

Scouts wonder about Jones' passion for the game; he's extremely laid back. They wonder if he's the next Eric Crouch, the 2002 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who is playing in NFL Europe as a safety after failing to make the conversion to receiver.

The difference may be Jones' superior size and his confidence. At Arkansas, he threw for 53 touchdowns and ran for 2,535 yards, an SEC record for a quarterback, and 24 TDs in his career.

"From talking to him and his coaches, he doesn't see himself as a tight end. He doesn't want to put his hand in the dirt," Heinlen said. "If I run a 4.3, I don't think I'd want to be a tight end, either. Put me out wide and let me run down field and make plays. He's one of the fastest players in the draft, and one of the tallest, so with that combination, he can get down field and make plays, just get him the ball any way possible."

Jones started 10 games for the Razorbacks basketball team as a junior, and averaged 4.5 rebounds, second best on the team. He said his basketball background gives him great eye-hand coordination. Many successful NFL tight ends excelled at hoops, such as Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez and San Diego's Antonio Gates.

"I know there will be doubters. There will be a lot of learning and stumbling blocks," Jones told USA Today Sports Weekly. "But I don't want to fail. God has blessed me with an unreal amount of athletic ability. Any team I'm on, we're going to win because I always felt I was the best player on the field."

LROTH@DemocratandChronicle.com

[hawgfan_18]

no way this ever happens... It'd be awesome if it did though

[razorback44]

I don't think they would trade up to take Matt Jones at number 2, that is just crazy talk, they have two many other problems to take a chance.  We have never had someone picked number one before, but I believe number two a few times.

[CusefaninAR]

Their defense was ranked second last year, so they aren't too concerned about that.  The biggest problem last year was the fact that Drew Bledsoe couldn't get rid of the ball.  I think the hope is that Willis McGehee will draw defenders closer to the line of scrimmage, freeing up Moulds and Jones, if they get him. 

[PorcineSublime]

There was a guy on my plane from Memphis last night that was from NFL films. I overheard him telling the lady behind me that they were here to film Matt on draft day. Guess they think he is definitely going first round. Don't think the Bills would give up that much for Matt though. Will be an interesting day tommorrow for sure.WPS

[Hoggysoprano]

Buffalo?  BS, everyone knows that Matt wants to be a Packer.

[CusefaninAR]

Jason Peters was a guest on the local call-in show up in Buffalo and guaranteed a playoff spot if the Bills get Jones.  I guess that is one Hog sticking up for another.

[Biggus Piggus]

The Philadelphia reporter that was on WHB (Kansas City) today had Philadelphia picking somebody other than Jones.  They didn't have MJ going in the first round.  I'm sure a lot of teams would love to see that.

[CusefaninAR]

Maybe the T.O. mess isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

[Biggus Piggus]

I couldn't believe they had Pittsburgh taking the tight end from Virginia instead of Jones.  Like Cowher gives a crap about tight ends.

[Semper Hogelis]

I couldn't believe they had Pittsburgh taking the tight end from Virginia instead of Jones. Like Cowher gives a crap about tight ends.

So dead on there Biggus. Like I said in another post. If your a TE with Pittsburg, you had better be ready to block, or your gonna get a 240+ RB up your back. They could give a rip whether a TE has soft hands, or quickness. Just another tackle in Pittsburg. Miller is a guy who likes the ball. He wont get that in Steel Town.