The Pittsburgh Steelers still might add another outside free agent or two moving forward into the offseason and a Thursday evening report by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com has them showing interest in Detroit Lions unrestricted free agent defensive end Jason Jones.
Jones, who was drafted originally by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Eastern Michigan, has also played for the Seattle Seahawks in addition to the Titans and Lions.
Last season in Detroit, Jones started 15 games for the Lions and registered 31 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Jones is a hybrid edge-rusher of sorts and is currently listed by the league at 6’5″, 275-pounds. He earned $3.15 million last season and played 542 total defensive snaps.
Jones is probably best-suited to be a situational nickel pass-rusher in the Steelers defensive scheme. The Steelers need to try to get defensive ends Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt some help this coming season so that they won’t have to play as many snaps. Jones is flexible and big enough to rush from the inside as well as the outside like a linebacker.
