Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones has been one of the best at his position in the NFL after five weeks.
Through all the woes that the Tennessee Titans have had on the offensive line, center Ben Jones remains the one true bright spot.
Jones signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract extension prior to the start of the season, and while a lot of people were surprised at the move to lock him up so early with so many impending free agents to make decisions on in 2020, it looks like it’s paying off for Tennessee.
According to Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus, Jones ranks as the second-best center in the NFL through five weeks of the 2019 season.
"Jones has delivered in pass protection so far this season, allow just three total pressures on 189 pass-blocking snaps. Those have come in the form of a sack and two hurries, while Jones has yet to commit a penalty on 316 total snaps."
The main reason why people were surprised at the Titans prioritizing Jones was because he had never really shined during his career. Jones has always been a serviceable center for sure, but never anywhere close to the elite status he has seen this season.
Well, apparently Jones is taking that next step. The Titans center has earned an overall PFF grade of 72.9, and it’s surprising how well he’s been able to play considering the dumpster fire that has been both guard positions on either side of him.
And when you combine that with the fact that he’s never missed a game, Jones’ value is as high as it will ever be.
If Jones had enjoyed this type of season and the Titans let him hit free agency, the Georgia product would have been on his way to an even bigger payday and the Titans might not have been able to keep him.
Sometimes general managers need to have a little foresight when re-signing players, and so far general manager Jon Robinson seems to have hit the nail on the head with locking Jones up early. It might end up saving Tennessee a lot of money in 2020.