The 29-year-old Jones, a seventh-round pick (205th overall) of the Cowboys in the 2004 draft, has appeared in 101 games over an eight-year career. In 2010, he registered a career-high with 57 tackles while being utilized as both a safety (playing both free and strong positions late in the season for the Broncos) and slot corner. For a Patriots team that craves flexibility -- especially at two positions currently thinned by injuries to Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung -- Jones' ability to bounce between multiple spots, and contribute on special teams (59 career special teams tackles; has returned a handful of kicks) suggests he has a bigger chance to contribute to the gameday roster.
A couple things jump out about Jones' stats: He has twice as many career sacks (6) as interceptions (3) and both the Cowboys and Dolphins utilized him as a blitzer out of a nickel package. Heck, no one knows better than Brady, who got sacked by Jones during a 2007 meeting in Dallas. He's also forced three fumbles during his career.