NEW ORLEANS (March 15, 2005) -- Free safety Tebucky Jones, who was supposed to bolster the New Orleans Saints backfield, was cut by the team.
Jones played better last season after he was criticized for his poor tackling and lack of big plays in 2003. Saints coach Jim Haslett predicted he would be a force for the team this year.
But the signing of safety Dwight Smith, a former third-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plus a $400,000 bonus Jones was due, made him expendable.
The Saints traded third-, fourth- and seventh-round draft picks to the New England Patriots to acquire Jones in 2003.
