Cash Jones enters Falcons training camp with a real opportunity hanging in the balance.
Atlanta spent the offseason bringing in a wave of undrafted free agents, but Jones stands out from the group because of the position switch. He was a running back in college, and the Falcons are now working to turn the pass-catching back into a full-time slot wide receiver. That move created plenty of buzz early, and the team clearly sees something worth developing.
The excitement around Jones was loudest during rookie minicamp, when his name kept popping up and the Falcons’ plans for him felt especially intriguing. Kevin Stefanski has sung his praises on multiple occasions, and the early talk around Jones suggested Atlanta might have found a real chess piece for its offense. Once OTAs began, though, the noise around him quieted down.
Now the focus shifts to training camp, where Jones has to show that the flashes he displayed earlier this offseason were just the beginning. The Falcons are counting on him to reemerge as the kind of secret weapon he looked like in the spring.
The appeal is easy to see. The NFL’s “joker” role has become more common, and while Jones does not bring the same explosiveness as 2021 Cordarelle Patterson, he can still matter in a receiver battle that looks wide open. Atlanta has four wideouts who are roster locks, which leaves two spots up for grabs and gives Jones a clear lane to make a case.
Among the undrafted receivers on the roster, Jones is the most interesting name. At Georgia, he caught 57 passes and ran the ball 52 times.
He finished with 573 receiving yards, more than double his 253 rushing yards. That kind of usage fits the idea of a player who can move around the formation and give an offense something different.
His competition includes Dylan Drummond, Chris Blair, Vinny Anthony, and Keelan Marion. That group is workable, but Jones also has the steepest learning curve because he is still newer to the receiver position than the others. The Falcons will need more polish from him as the summer goes on.
The upside is there. The question is whether Jones can keep building on it once the pads come on. Training camp and the preseason will give him his last chance to prove he can handle multiple roles at the NFL level, and that stretch will decide whether he earns a roster spot.
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