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The Miami Dolphins will officially sign free agent defensive end Jason Jones on Monday, according to a report from ESPN. The update, coming from a Friday report that the Dolphins were close to signing the former Detroit Lions defensive end, now reports that Jones will fly to Miami on Sunday, with paperwork expected to be completed and filed to the league on Monday.
"I'm excited to go down there to continue my career. Our whole D-line is about to be trill," Jones told ESPN.
Jones is entering his ninth year in the NFL. He was a second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2008, spending four years with the club. He then spent the 2012 season with the Seattle Seahawks before joining for the last three years. Working as both a defensive end and a defensive tackle in his career, Jones has recorded 28 sacks, with 24 passes defensed, 10 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and 178 tackles. He turns 30 later this month.
Jones joins a defensive group that is headlined by Cameron Wake and Mario Williams, with Andre Branch, Terrence Fede, and Chris McCain behind them. The team also is hoping Canadian Football League import Cleyon Laing can follow in the footsteps of Wake, who came over to the NFL after two years in the CFL to become of the league's top pass rushers.
Miami could also see the return of suspended defensive end Dion Jordan. The third-overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, Jordan was suspended for one-year in 2015 and is eligible for reinstatement, though that reinstatement has yet to happen.
Jones will mark the first post-May 12 signing for the Dolphins. Prior to May 12, any signed free agent is utilized in the calculations for next year's compensatory draft picks, possibly canceling out lost free agents in the formula. Past May 12, signings no longer factor into the formula. The Dolphins are expecting to receive at least two compensatory picks in the 2017 NFL Draft for the loss of defensive end Olivier Vernon and running back Lamar Miller.
Miami could look to Jones to provide a strong edge-setting presence against the run, as well as providing depth at the defensive tackle position. Jones, by joining the Dolphins, is re-united with former teammate, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.