Ben Jones took one look at the Titans' vision under Jon Robinson and Mike Mularkey and liked what he saw. That's why the free agent center elected to sign with the Titans one year ago.
As Free Agency kicks off again Thursday, Jones may be the player that most represents the Titans' philosophy shift to smashmouth football. He is a tough, no nonsense, win at all costs type of guy that is a favorite in the locker room.
"They wanted to have a physical team," Jones said. "They were bringing in DeMarco Murray, which brought a sparkle to my eye. They had a young quarterback in Marcus Mariota, and I knew if we could protect him the sky was the limit for the offense. Once I heard all that, I was on board."
Jones came to Tennessee after four seasons in Houston, where he made a name for himself as one of the league's most dependable centers. He was a perfect fit on a Titans' offensive line in search of an identity and a leader.
Jones brought a businesslike approach to the O-Line room, leading by example for a unit that had four new starters in 2016. That group paved the way for DeMarco Murray's AFC-best 1,287 rushing yards, helping the Titans go from 25th in the NFL in rushing in 2015 to third last season.
Coaches and teammates praise his work ethic and command of blocking assignments at the line of scrimmage, but Jones is plenty happy letting his teammates' take the glory. Left tackle Taylor Lewan was named to the Pro Bowl in 2016, and rookie right tackle Jack Conklin was named an All-Pro at the end of the season.
"They're the best in the league," Jones said. "I know Jack was the best right tackle in the league. And Taylor's a fiery guy you want our team. We have two great tackles, and they're both young, so hopefully they'll be here for a lot of years together."
Jones is a man of few words, but when he speaks his teammates listen. Perhaps the greatest sign of the respect players in the locker room have for him is the fact several offensive lineman adopted his routine of taking a barefoot pregame walk on the field before each game.
That ritual got special attention last season in Kansas City when Jones and Conklin walked a frozen field in sub-zero temperatures while Lewan stood nearby in flip-flops.
"That's just Taylor. He only ran out their real quick," said the somewhat quirky Jones, who once ate a cockroach in a locker room bet.
If there was one disappointment for Jones in his first season in Tennessee, it was the way the year ended with quarterback Marcus Mariota being carted off the field with a broken leg in a loss in Jacksonville in week 16. That loss ultimately cost the Titans the AFC South title and a playoff berth they felt they deserved.
"We knew where we should've been," Jones said. "That should've been us and we were just one game away. I think it makes it hurt that much more."
As Robinson begins to assemble a roster this week to get the Titans over the hump in 2017 and into the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, the foundation is already in place.
It started a year ago with Jones and his first class of free agents. A group that changed the team's culture and made the Titans a winner again.
