The curious case of Adam Jones goes from a man arrested last week, reportedly after defending shock set in that the woman taking a swing at his wife wasn't arrested, to the point in all of this. Jones suffered a neck injury midway though the 2010 season, having a procedure done soon after. He was in a neck brace for several months, having a second procedure recently to see how well his neck was healing.
Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote at the time that Adam Jones "should be ready for the season barring any setbacks."
However the Bengals aren't so sure.
According to the Len Pasqurelli of the Sports Xchange, the Bengals organization has reservations whether Bengals cornerback Adam Jones will be able to play in 2011.
Our initial reaction is natural. Not having any contact with a player that's undergone two neck procedures, the organization just hasn't seen the progress first hand; nor have they checked out Jones' workouts with the team.
Or this could the first stepping stone in an excuse towards moving Jones, which of course depends on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. There's a good chance that if NFL Commissioner is allowed to dish out the hand of god on players that violated the Personal Conduct Policy, Jones could have some vacation coming up when the regular season starts. With Johnathan Joseph set for free agency, the Bengals may want something a little more stable starting at the position.
Truth is we're not sure how this is going to play out. But if the Bengals are making subtle statements about it now, you have to keep an open mind that they're pushing the idea that Jones could be more of a liability (health and legal) to the team. Then again, no contact means no updates on his recovery.