Patriots expected to sign DT DaQuan Jones for defensive line help
New England is set to add veteran defensive tackle DaQuan Jones on a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, giving the front a bigger, more experienced presence after a Week 1 loss
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The Patriots are expected to sign veteran defensive tackle DaQuan Jones to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, a move that would add size, power and experience to a defensive front that got pushed around in the season-opening loss to Seattle.
Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet): The #Patriots are expected to sign veteran DT DaQuan Jones to a 1-year deal worth up to $6M, sources say. He gets $3.5M base. Some help up front before Week 2 from the former #Bills starter.
The agreement carries a $3.5 million base salary for Jones, who has spent the last four seasons in Buffalo. He started all 51 regular-season games he played for the Bills and totaled 99 tackles, 10 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, with another 13 tackles across eight playoff appearances.
New England knows him well from those years in the AFC East, and the timing reflects how thin the interior has looked. Milton Williams, Christian Barmore and Cory Durden handled the bulk of the defensive tackle snaps in Wednesday's 13-10 loss to the Seahawks, when the Patriots struggled to hold up against the run.
Jones is not a long-term answer, but he is a known quantity who can eat snaps on early downs and hold up against double teams, and the deal is structured so the Patriots are not making a significant commitment beyond this season. The move gives the coaching staff another body to rotate while the younger interior defenders develop.
As of Friday morning the signing was reported as expected rather than announced, so the roster move had not yet been made official. New England plays its second game of the season next, still looking for its first win.