Report: Matt Jones Won’t Be Suspended

Despite violating the terms of a court-ordered drug program stemming from a cocaine possession arrest in Arkansas last year by admittedly drinking alcohol, former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matt Jones won’t be facing another NFL suspension, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. According to Jones’ agent, Dave Butz, Jones was recently told by league officials that he will face a $50,000 fine with no additional suspension from the NFL. The NFL Players Association is urging Jones to appeal the fine. With no suspension pending, Jones, who was cut by the Jaguars after his latest brush with the legal system, is free to sign with any NFL team. “That’s the main message, that Matt will be available to any team looking for a proven receiver,” Butz told ESPN.com. [Editor’s note: And if a team signs Matt, it’ll still be looking for a proven receiver.] Jones, who was suspended for the last three games of last season after losing an appeal he filed with the league, served five days in jail this spring after acknowledging to court officials that he drank two beers while playing golf. Butz took issue with the widely-held belief in NFL circles that Jones is a bust after failing to fulfill high expectations after the Jaguars drafted him in the first round. “Well, he caught 65 passes in 12 games last year for the Jaguars and he was their No. 1 receiver,” Butz said.n “If he wasn’t hurt one game and didn’t have the three-game suspension, he may have caught 80 to 90 balls.n In his first two years, he was the third most productive receiver of his rookie class, despite some musical chairs at quarterback. So that ‘bust’ tag isn’t fair, at all. . . . “He wants to prove himself all over again. He has stated very clearly that he regrets some decisions he’s made, but he’s moving forward. I mean, the Jaguars didn’t cut him after the [arrest] last summer. They saw a different guy; there was just a different reaction when he had the two beers. I see a guy who’s very hungry to make a strong contribution to a team.” Jones’ 65 receptions for 761 yards and two touchdowns in a dozen starts did mark a career-high. However, he caught just 24 passes for 317 yards and four scores in 2007. In four NFL seasons, the former Arkansas quarterback has recorded modest numbers, with 166 career receptions for 2,153 yards and 15 touchdowns.