Brett Jones accomplished a lot during his very short CFL career. He’ll likely never return to the league as a player, but it seems possible that he’ll one day return as a scout.
Calgary Stampeders’ head coach Dave Dickenson spoke to the media on Wednesday and revealed that two players on the roster were signed following a recommendation from Jones, the team’s former starting centre.
“I’m going to give Brett Jones a lot of credit,” said Dickenson. “Brett’s stayed in contact with us through the years and one of the guys he said is a good player is Mike Rose. Guess who we signed? Mike Rose. Brett Jones is in Minnesota, talking about running backs. He likes this Roc Thomas, if he’s available. We got him, here he is. I think Brett might have a future in scouting as well because he’s doing a damn good job. Appreciate that, Brett.”
Rose signed with the New York Giants after going unselected in the 2016 NFL Draft where he practiced opposite Jones along the line of scrimmage. He was cut at the end of training camp and flew north the following year to join the Stamps where he developed behind perennial all-star Micah Johnson.
Johnson departed for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in February 2019 and Rose took full advantage of the opportunity to start, making 50 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble in eighteen regular season games. 3DownNation took notice of Rose’s stellar play in 2019, naming him one of the top 100 players in the CFL.
Thomas was a teammate of Jones with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 after making the team as an undrafted free agent. He recorded eight carries for 30 yards and two receptions for 21 yards in five games, though he was cut the following year after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
“Roc is smooth, he catches the ball. He’s picking up the offence. He is very elusive, but I’ve seen on film he can run downhill,” said Dickenson, who identified Calgary’s running backs as one of the leading groups on the team.
Jones was a second-round pick out of the University of Regina in 2013 who immediately became Calgary’s starting centre. He was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie that same year, then won Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman the following season.
He’s spent the past six seasons with the New York Giants (2015-17) and Minnesota Vikings (2018-20) and is now a free agent.
If Jones can’t get another contract in the NFL, it appears as though he has a future in scouting.
