Turns out, Matt Jones might be a step closer to getting back in the NFL.

  The former Arkansas quarterback, whose legal troubles led to him being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars, has a tryout Thursday with the Tennessee Titans. I was told months ago that the Titans could be a possible fit for Jones, a former first-round draft pick.

  According to The Tennessean, “the 6-foot-6 Jones is an intriguing prospect, though he has controversial past.” Here is the newspaper’s story on Jones’ upcoming tryout with the Titans.

  Who’s the best quarterback in Arkansas history?

  Was Quinn Grovey better than Bill Montgomery? Was Joe Ferguson more impressive than Clint Stoerner? Or was Matt Jones better than them all?

  As part of The Morning News’ college football preview section, I surveyed nine longtime sports writers, former Arkansas coaches and sports talk radio personalities to try to answer the question: Who’s Arkansas’ best all-time quarterback?

  I asked each panelist to give me his list of the top 5 quarterbacks, and then all the votes were added up. I gave five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote, three points for a third-place vote and so on. I then added up all the points to determine the ranking of Arkansas’ top 5 all-time quarterbacks.

  I received several different votes for the No. 1 quarterback. You might be surprised with the results. I know I was. (By the way, I didn’t have a vote, though you should recognize all the panelists who voted in the survey.)

  I’m not going to give away which quarterback finished at the top of the list, or how the rest of the top 5 shook out. It will be in the college football preview section, which comes out Sunday. In the meantime, who do you think is the best quarterback in Arkansas history?

  Is it Jon Brittenum? Or maybe Fred Marshall? Or how about Kevin Scanlon?

  Let me know what you think. Give me your top 5 list, and then check on Sunday to see how it compares with how the votes added up. 

Former Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones is still looking for a job in the NFL this summer after being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars a few months ago. But while he’s waiting, Jones took some time out to speak with The Florida Times-Union about the mistakes he has made in the past year or so and how they’ve affected him.

The newspaper has an in-depth feature on Jones and what they describe as his “current train wreck of a career.” You can read the entire story by clicking this link.

Jones is living at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., according to the story for the past three months and has spent more than $15,000 to train with a team of specialists down there. According to the story, Jones has spoken with several teams about the possibility of signing a contract, but nothing “seems imminent.”

Jones also spoke about his cocaine arrest last summer, and the alcohol consumption on a golf outing that gave him time and jail and left him without a job. He said he doesn’t have a drug problem. He tried cocaine for the first time shortly before the night he was arrested in Fayetteville with cocaine in the back seat of a car.

“[Cocaine] is something I hadn’t really done in the past, so it’s not like there was ever a drug problem,” Jones told the newspaper. “[The incident] was something where I was with some of my buddies. It was a bad mistake, bad judgment on everybody’s part.”

Jones said he has disassociated himself from some people he once considered friends. Of course, Jones is hoping his career can get back on track soon but he is waiting for a phone call. NFL training camps will be opening soon.

The story closes with Jones saying he’s staying positive about the entire situation.

“It starts with you. You can’t keep your head down worrying about everything. You’ve got to learn and move on,” Jones told the newspaper. “I’m definitely looking forward to getting somewhere, getting into a playbook, learning routes and getting a relationship with a quarterback. The main thing I have to do is control what I control and that’s being in shape and ready for when I do get that phone call.”

  Matt Jones was back on a football field Wednesday, except this time it was to participate in a youth football camp. The former Arkansas quarterback is still waiting for an NFL team to give him a second chance after the Jacksonville Jaguars cut him in March.

  I spoke with Jones after the camp at Springdale High, and of course, I asked him about his NFL future. Here is my story that will appear in Wednesday’s edition of The Morning News on Jones’ pro prospects, with quotes from Jones and ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen:

  SPRINGDALE — Four years ago, NFL executives were swooning over Matt Jones’ 6-foot-6 frame and fast 40-yard dash time.

  The former Arkansas quarterback had raw athletic ability and first-round potential. But he’s now considered too big of a risk for NFL teams to touch, even at a bargain price.

  Jones remains out of the league three months after the Jacksonville Jaguars cut the wide receiver following his five-day stint in the Washington County Jail for violating the terms of his drug court program.

  And with NFL training camps set to begin in late July, Jones continues to wait for a general manager to give him a second chance at a pro career.

  “An opportunity will come about. Life’s too good, man, to be worried about little stuff like that,” Jones said Wednesday after participating in a Smart Sports football camp for kids at Springdale High.

  “I definitely want the opportunity to play football for a few more years, but I’m just enjoying myself.”

  Jones said he’s continued to work out and stay in shape while his agent, Dave Butz, speaks with teams about signing the 21st pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Jones declined to say which teams his agent has spoken to, and Butz was unavailable for comment.

  The wide receiver’s legal troubles — coupled with his perceived lack of work ethic — has made general managers think twice about signing him even to a low-cost, low-risk deal.

  ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen said he expects a team to take a chance on Jones, who’s only 26 and coming off his best season. But Mortensen was hard-pressed to say which team might pick up the Fort Smith native.

  “I know he’s been down in Florida working his rear end off. I know he misses football, which is a really good sign,” said Mortensen, who lives in Bella Vista. “I don’t care what you say, he caught 65 balls in 12 games last year..

  “… I got a feeling that somebody before training camp is going to take a chance (on him).”

  There has been speculation that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — an Arkansas alum — could sign the former Razorback to address the team’s need at wide receiver.

  But Mortensen doesn’t believe Dallas will take a gamble on Jones, especially after the team cut ties with talented but controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens.

  “T.O. was never a problem off the field and there was never a problem with his work ethic,” Mortensen said. “And now you bring in somebody at the same position (Jones) who had a problem off the field and whose work ethic has been questioned.”

  Jones was the Jaguars’ leading receiver in 2008, catching 65 passes for 761 yards and two touchdowns despite being suspended for the final three games of the season. The suspension was punishment for his July 10 arrest on Dickson Street for felony possession of cocaine.

  Jones avoided a trial by agreeing to enter Washington County Drug Court. But the Jaguars cut the wide receiver on March 16, two days after he was released from jail for violating the terms of the drug court program by drinking beer while golfing with friends.

  “(I’m) just working out, staying in shape,” Jones said. “That’s the main thing and trying to find a good spot to be at and help a team win.”

Former Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones still doesn’t have an NFL home.

But after this bit of news from the NFL today, it’s pretty clear he could be finding one pretty soon.

Who wants him?

Chris Mortensen reported earlier today that the NFL has informed Jones he will be fined $50,000 but will not be suspended for violating the terms of his court-mandated drug program a little while back. Remember, Jones spent a few nights in jail after testing positive for alcohol, the result of what Jones said was a couple of drinks with friends on the golf course. That’s fine and all except for one thing: It broke the terms of his conditions with the drug court program and landed him in plenty of hot water.

Jones was released by Jacksonville shortly after leaving jail. He has been looking for a new home since.

But Jones agent, Dave Butz, told Mortensen that the fact Jones won’t be suspended by the NFL again — he did serve a three-game suspension at the end of the 2008 season for his original arrest on drug charges — is good news. “That’s the main message — that Matt will be available to any team looking for a proven receiver,” Butz told Mortensen.

As for the fine, Butz also told Mortensen that Jones plans to appeal it.

How much interest will there be in Jones, who led the Jaguars with 65 catches last season? We’ll find out soon.

What’s your guess? Where will Jones play football in 2009?

  The question that many Arkansas fans seem to keep asking is: What NFL team will give Matt Jones a second chance?

  The speculation all along was that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, an Arkansas alum, would sign the troubled wide receiver after the Jacksonville Jaguars cut him following his latest brush with the law.

  That hasn’t happened, but the pieces could be falling into play for Matt Jones to end up in Dallas after all. 

  The Cowboys could be in the need for another wide receiver if restricted free agent Miles Austin signs with the New York Jets. Miles to N.Y. seems like a strong possibility, and Jones would be an obvious choice to replace him in the Big D. The Dallas Morning News suggested this scenario in a recent blog entry.

  We’ll have to wait and see what happens.

 

  With Arkansas still more than a week away from opening spring practice, I thought I’d provide some information about two former Razorbacks quarterbacks- Matt Jones and Casey Dick.

  Dick spent seven weeks working out in Nashville to prepare for Arkansas’ Pro Day, where he hoped last week to show NFL scouts that he has a stronger arm and is faster than some of them might have thought heading into the workout.

  Here is my story on Dick’s attempts to make an NFL roster. Note the part from his agent saying that the Dallas Cowboys are among the teams interested in getting a better look at the quarterback.

  And then there is Jones, who’s already in the NFL – for now. Here is a short item on his release from the Washington County Jail on Saturday morning. Also, I didn’t have the space to run all of Jones’ statement to the media about his jail stint, so here it is in full:

  “I am on my way back to Jacksonville to join my team and to fulfill my contractual obligations to the Jaguars by being in offseason camp by Monday. The past few days have been very difficult for me and for my family, but I accept full responsibility for putting myself in this position. I didn’t break any laws by drinking a couple of beers on the golf course, but I did break a rule I promised to abide by when I was admitted to the Washington County Drug Court program. I made a mistake, and it won’t happen again. I apologized to Judge Gunn in court and do so again and also apologize to the staff and all those people at the drug court who have done so much to help me in recent months. The drug court program has been good for me and good for my future. Other than this one mistake, I have done everything that has been asked of me in the drug court program and have learned a lot, which will benefit me in the future. It is my intention to successfully complete the drug court program and I am fully committed to doing so.”

  As I’m sure every Arkansas fan knows by now, former quarterback Matt Jones was sentenced to a week in the Washington County Jail. Here is my story for Tuesday’s newspaper that outlines what led to him being sentenced.

  FAYETTEVILLE — Former Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones agreed Monday to spend the rest of this week in the Washington County Jail after he violated the terms of his plea agreement by failing a random alcohol test.

Jones admitted during a court appearance before Washington County Circuit Judge Mary Ann Gunn that he drank alcohol while golfing with friends in Northwest Arkansas in late February.

Jones, who’s now a wide receiver with Jacksonville Jaguars, is forbidden from drinking alcohol as part of his agreement to enter Washington County Drug Court. He entered the drug court in October to avoid facing a trial on felony possession of cocaine.

“He had been 100 percent compliant,” said Lisa Dennis, Washington County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the drug court. “This is the first time since he’s been in the program that we’ve had any hiccups.”

Jones was booked into the Washington County Jail at 6:21 p.m. Monday, and he’s expected to remain there until he’s released at 8 a.m. Sunday. He’s being held on a $150,000 bond.

Dennis said Jones was notified that he must appear in court after his results from a random alcohol test given on Feb. 27 came back positive.

“He came to court and admitted to Judge Gunn that he did drink on Thursday before the test when he was playing golf with some friends here in Northwest Arkansas,” Dennis said.

Gunn gave Jones the option of either spending a week in jail or entering a six-week, in-house residential treatment program. Dennis said the former Arkansas star initially decided to enter the treatment program because his mother didn’t want to see him go to jail.

But Jones agreed to enter jail after Gunn asked him when he must return to Jacksonville to continue offseason workouts with the Jaguars, Dennis said. Gunn sentenced Jones until Sunday morning because he’s expected back in Jacksonville on Monday.

Gunn, who runs the drug court, declined to comment when reached Monday evening.

“Since it was a proceeding that happened in court, I don’t really feel comfortable commenting on it or talking about it,” Gunn said.

Jones, a former first-round draft pick, was arrested July 10 after Fayetteville police say they saw the former Arkansas star using a credit card to cut up cocaine in a parked SUV behind Dickson Street.

Jones was the Jaguars’ leading receiver last season, catching 65 passes for 761 yards and two touchdowns. The NFL suspended him for the final three games of the season because of his drug arrest.

Here is much more information regarding Matt Jones‘ deal to enter drug court.

This will appear in Wednesday’s edition of The Morning News.

By Alex Abrams

Former Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones will avoid facing trial on Friday for felony possession of cocaine by agreeing to enter Washington County Drug Court.

As part of the agreement, Jones must complete a nine-month intervention program that includes 136 hours of group therapy and 30 hours of community service. He also must submit to at least 78 random drug tests.

Jones faced three to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the felony drug charge. If he completes the intervention program, the charge will be dismissed.

But if the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver slips up, he’ll go to trial as usual.

“He will be treated just like any other person in drug court. If he has a positive drug screen or he’s non-compliant with the program, he may find himself in jail,” said Washington County Circuit Judge Mary Ann Gunn, who runs the drug court. “He won’t be treated any differently in that respect.”

Jones won’t have to appear in Washington County Circuit Court on Friday as originally scheduled. He’ll make his first appearance in front of Gunn at 1 p.m. Monday, one day after the Jaguars play a road game against the Denver Broncos.

Jones will then be allowed to return to Jacksonville to finish the season. But he’ll have to move back to Fayetteville in the offseason so he can fulfill some of the requirements of drug court.

“We looked at all the options and concluded that the best option for Matt and the option that was clearly in his best interest was to try to get the case transferred from circuit court over to Washington County Drug Court,” said Woody Bassett, Jones’ attorney.

“No question that was the best route for us to take and that’s clearly in Matt’s interest.”

Jones was arrested July 10 after Fayetteville police say they saw the former Arkansas star using a credit card to cut up cocaine in a parked SUV behind Dickson Street.

Bassett said Jones had the option of going to trial or agreeing to a plea deal. But Bassett had spent the past several weeks trying to get Jones’ case transferred to drug court, which is called a “pre-trial diversion” program.

Jones will be the second former Arkansas player currently in the NFL to appear before Gunn in the past few years.

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Marcus Harrison entered drug court after he was arrested in August of 2007 when marijuana and an Ecstasy pill was found on him and in his car during a routine traffic stop.

As with Harrison, Gunn said she’ll receive weekly reports from the NFL on Jones’ random drug tests, group therapy sessions and individual counseling.

“As long as he is compliant and the NFL sends us those records each week, then he can stay in long-term therapy through what’s offered with the National Football League,” Gunn said. “And then on completion of the season, he’s going to have to move back to Fayetteville and he’s going to have to go through our program.”

Jones, who’s free on a $2,500 bond, pleaded not guilty to one felony count of possession of a controlled substance during his Aug. 11 arraignment in Washington County Circuit Court.

He starred at Arkansas from 2001-04.

“Matt has reacted the right way to all of this. He knows that he made a mistake, but he accepted responsibility for it,” Bassett said. “He has learned from it and he’s doing all the right things now on and off the field. “I think he’s going to be fine.”