Miami Dolphins Byron Jones needs to take the ball away more

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 22: Byron Jones #31 of the Dallas Cowboys reacts during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles in the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 22: Byron Jones #31 of the Dallas Cowboys reacts during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles in the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The Miami Dolphins invested a lot of money this off-season in cornerback Byron Jones and now they need that investment to pay off.

Some in the media were a bit critical when the Miami Dolphins made Byron Jones the highest-paid corner in the NFL. He is good but is he worthy of that type of payout? The Dolphins think so.

Jones has five NFL seasons under his belt, all with the Cowboys and in those five years, he made one Pro Bowl, which was in 2018. Jones is a fantastic coverage corner but there is one area he needs to improve on and that is takeaways.

In his five seasons, Jones has two interceptions and three forced fumbles. The interceptions are something he needs to improve on. Body positioning is important for blanket coverage corners and getting his body turned around to make a play on the ball is key.

That being said, it is far easier to say than to actually do. Especially for a player who plays tighter in his coverage and is physical with receivers. Breaking up passes is just as important as taking the ball away. Miami has a ball-hawking corner in Xavien Howard but it would be nice to see both corners taking the ball away and putting it back into the hands of the offense.

Again, we are really nitpicking here because getting an interception or two really doesn’t compare to keeping receivers from making first downs on a critical third down. Jones saw his 2019 tackles drop from 67 to 46 but he played in two fewer games.

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The Dolphins have made huge investments in their corners this year. Howard signed an extension in 2019, Jones is the highest-paid corner in the NFL, Miami drafted not one but two secondary players in April’s draft, one of them a first-round selection. They are also very much interested in free agent Logan Ryan. It is pretty safe to say that Brian Flores has put a premium on the position. Now, they all need to step up their rolls and lock it all down.