Tony Jones DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Arizona Cardinals signed veteran free-agent running back Tony Jones to the practice squad on Wednesday, according to NFL.com. The 27-year-old was on the team's preseason roster but was released just ahead of the regular season. With Emari Demercado (back) on Injured Reserve and Trey Benson (ankle) dealing with an ankle injury, the Cardinals running back rook behind James Conner is beginning to get thin. DeeJay Dallas would likely operate as the RB2 behind Conner against the Carolina Panthers this weekend if Benson can't play, but Jones could be elevated to the active roster and back him up. Jones has rushed 93 times for 274 yards and two touchdowns in 25 career games with the Saints, Seahawks, and Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals have released running back Tony Jones (shoulder) from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to Howard Balzer of CardsWire. Jones had injured his shoulder during the final week of the preseason and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. However, now that he was released with a settlement, Jones immediately becomes a free agent and is technically free to sign with any team. Teams will wait until he's fully healthy before making any sort of deal, but at least there's now a chance for him to suit up again this season, rather than spend the whole year sidelined. Jones had 132 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in 2023, and he remains nothing more than a depth piece on NFL rosters. He should be avoided in all fantasy leagues.

Arizona Cardinals running back Tony Jones (shoulder) took seven carries for 29 yards in Sunday's preseason finale. He also caught two passes for 14 yards. The Cardinals went to the fourth-year veteran early and often, getting Jones a touch on five of their first seven offensive plays. Jones was knocked out of his final audition for the team early when he suffered a shoulder injury after getting tackled in the second quarter. Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad's blow also knocked the ball out of Jones's possession, the first of two red-zone turnovers committed by Arizona in the game. James Conner is locked in as the Cardinals' starting running back with rookie Trey Benson drafted to be his understudy. Even if Jones makes the final 53-man roster on Tuesday, he will not have the opportunity to provide fantasy value and can be ignored.