Reports: Giants To Sign CFL O-Line Stud Brett Jones
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The New York Giants are importing some beef for their offensive line.
Multiple reports say the team will be adding Brett Jones, the Canadian Football League's reigning O-lineman of the year, to its roster. The Calgary Stampeders center won the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in 2014, one season after being named the league's rookie of the year.
The deal is pending a physical, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Jones, who was set to become a free agent, had offseason workouts with the Giants, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, according to the Calgary Herald. The newspaper reported Jones' impending agreement with New York on Monday.
"(The NFL) has pretty much been my goal the whole time that I've been in the CFL," Jones told the Regina Leader-Post in December. "I knew that if I wanted to get a chance to play down there, I'd have to prove it in the CFL."
NJ.com's Jordan Raanan speculated that the 6-foot-2, 318-pound Saskatchewan native would head into camp without any financial or roster guarantees. Some believe Jones, 23, could win a job at a guard position for the Giants or serve as backup for Weston Richburg, who is expected to start the season at center.
"It is a risk, but it's something that I feel like I should try — and I think I've earned the try," Jones said shortly after helping Calgary win the CFL championship. "If I'm going to give the NFL a shot, it's NFL or bust. I don't want to have that, 'Oh, whatever. If I get cut, it's not a big deal.' It is a big deal. I really want to get a chance to play."
