Reshad Jones All-Pro At Finding The “I” In Team

M.J.

5 years ago

Reshad Jones has made a name for himself by going off script

Reshad Jones was a steal for the Miami Dolphins with the 5th Round Pick in the 2010 Draft.

Over the years, Jones has made plays at a Pro Bowl level by operating as a rogue rover outside of the play. Most fans would say next to Cameron Wake he was the best player the Dolphins had.

But, during the Dolphins game against the Jets in Week 9 of last year, Jones benched himself 10 plays into the game.

It was a shock to his fans, the media, fans of the Phins. While Miami won the game, they lost far more.

Our actions reveal who we really are… especially after a ‘mistake’

When given the freedom to use his instincts, Jones is a special playmaker. Unfortunately, those instincts aren’t unerring. When his instincts have been off it hasn’t been pretty for Miami.

Maybe ‘going rogue’ has become hard-wired into his character…

… Or now that he has fame and a huge guaranteed paycheck, he’s just revealing who he truly is.

Jones is the highest paid, most notable, and longest tenured Dolphins on the team…

… And he’s the only player not to show up to the voluntary workout.

According to Flores rehabbing is one of ‘several reasons’ why he didn’t show.

Missing ‘voluntaries’ in of itself isn’t a big deal. But combined with the unpardonable sin of quitting on his team last year, the new regime who has a core belief of team first, the level of trust between Jones and coaches must be fractured… if not broken.

It is with me… although, that isn’t worth a hill of beans.

Every player wants the ‘respect’ of ‘getting paid’. Jones received that respect with a ton of guaranteed money to an older player.

As per Over The Cap, “Reshad Jones signed a four year, $48 million contract extension with the Dolphins on March 9, 2017. Jones’ contract contains$33 million in guarantees including $19.885 million guaranteed at signing. Jones received a $9 million signing bonus and his 2017 and 2018 salaries are fully guaranteed. “

Against the wisdom of the best pay per head services, like Ace Per Head.com Mike Tannenbaum had the bright idea to triple down on Jones in 2018. When will the malignancy of Tannenbaum end?

Prior to the start of the last season, Jones had his contract restructured converting $8.82 million of his 2018 salary into guaranteed money. This put all the power in Jones’ hands with over $25 million locked into the 31-year-old.

Respect is a two-way street if you haven’t heard.

You could say Miami was just trying to help their squad, and it had nothing to do with respect for Jones. It’s a fair response to say for the GM and staff were just looking out for their best interests. However you slice it, the Dolphins Franchise and the owner invested into Jones, allowed him to play ‘his’ type of game, become a millionaire, live a dream, and turn into a star.

See Cameron Wake on class and how to do it right.

Remember when Wake saw little action in 2017 and didn’t say a peep?

Brian Flores might be at the crossroads of his first major decision

Coach Flores has stated over and over that the core beliefs he wants his team to be built on are sacrifice, team-first mentality, and commitment. This is the right foundation to turn a tarnished franchise around and back to glory. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done, especially in this era.

So how do these tenants resonate when your star, leader, and most expensive player, who quit on the the team, decides to be a no show at the first meaningful event?

Adam Gase wilted under the pressure and allowed Lawrence Timmons to quit on the team without ramifications. Jones followed suit with even less of a slap on the wrist. The Dolphins had every right to take money from Jones. Some say it could have voided the contract. Jones doesn’t appear to be repaying the kindness.

He has the power… so I guess his response is to flex.

What will become of this? How will Flores respond? Is Jones trying to force his way out? Drama has reared its head… despite Flores brushing it off.