The Las Vegas Raiders have a need in the interior of their defensive line, and they're hoping Benito Jones is a fit.
The Las Vegas Raiders have already made plenty of splashy moves, including the recent selection of quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the draft, the signing of veteran bridge quarterback Kirk Cousins and adding a bunch of expensive free agents. But the work going on now is a series of quiet moves to build out the depth chart, with the latest being the signing of defensive tackle Benito Jones, according to a a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
Jones played last year for the Miami Dolphins, and the Raiders have waived Brodric Martin in what Alper called a corresponding move. It’s taken Jones a while to find a new home, as he’s become a journeyman in the last couple of seasons.
The defensive tackle had 15 tackles and a sack in 14 games for the Dolphins last season. Miami signed him back in 2020 as an undrafted free agent, and he later moved on to join the Detroit Lions, for whom he played 34 games for the Lions in 2022 and 2023 before returning to Miami for the last two seasons.
He also played one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, and the Raiders claimed him off the waiver wire last December.
The connection here is that Jones was coached by defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, who was an assistant line coach back in 2020. Jones was a starter in Detroit back in 2023, so the hope is that Leonard can get more out of Jones than the DT has shown in his last couple of stops. Jones career stats are underwhelming, as he’s had 83 tackle, 3.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss across 71 games.
Releasing Martin is a key part of this move as well. The Lions traded up to get him in the third round back in 2023, but he struggled with a knee injury and was barely able to get on the field, according to a report by Nikhil Mehta of ProFootballRumors.com. Martin couldn’t pass an offseason physical in Las Vegas, which will make it tough for him to find a new home.
The interior of the defensive line has been mentioned as a weak area that the Raiders didn’t address in the draft, so Jones will have an opportunity to get snaps. There could be another signing or a trade coming, as the Raiders have so many areas of need that it’s nearly impossible to address them all at once.