BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Lions signed receiver Marvin Jones early on in free agency to be a versatile component to their receiving corps alongside Golden Tate.
"I'm just a guy that's coming in and trying to make plays that help this team," Jones said after signing with the Lions. "I don't look at the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver. We have a lot of talent here. We all step up to the plate and make our plays."
Jones was clearly the No. 2 receiver in Cincinnati behind Pro Bowler A.J. Green. In Detroit, he and Tate could be 1A and 1B.
Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis was asked about Jones' signing in Detroit at the NFL League Meetings Tuesday morning.
"He was a good young prospect for us," Lewis said. "He did a great job."
"Marvin was productive for two of the four seasons he was with us. The other two he was injured and didn't have an opportunity to play as much. But he did a good job for us."
Jones joins the Lions after spending his first four seasons with the Bengals. He finished second on the team with career highs in receptions (65) and receiving yards (816) last season. He played mostly a reserve role in 11 games (five starts) as a rookie in 2012 and ankle and foot injuries kept him out of action the entire 2014 season.
In 2013, Jones caught 51 passes for 712 yards (14.0 average) with 10 touchdowns.
"Marvin Jones is a tremendous football player," former Cincinnati offensive coordinator and current Browns head coach Hue Jackson said when asked about Jones. "He'll do great in Detroit."
Jones' skill set should allow Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter to use him in a number of different ways in tandem with Tate. Of Jones' 65 catches last season, 13 were for 20 yards or more, so he could wear a few different hats in this offense.
"I think anything they ask me to do, or anything I'm expected to do, or they want me to do, I can do it," Jones said. "I'm just excited for this opportunity to be in this offense."
