A free agent for the ages

Jacoby Jones outruns the world.

In the wake of the Baltimore Ravens' thrilling Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers, one name everyone's talking about (aside from Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, and the Harbaughs) is Jacoby Jones. He made the two biggest plays of the game: an NFL-record-tying 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 56-yard, falling, scrambling touchdown reception. Where did such an electric player come from? How did the Ravens have him, and why had no one else jumped on such a gamechanger?

Jones started his career with the Houston Texans as a third-round draft pick in 2007. He didn't do much in his rookie season, playing in 14 games and totaling 149 receiving yards, 78 kickoff return yards, and 286 punt return yards. He never expanded his role beyond special teams and an infrequently used third receiver. His best season with the Texans came in 2009 when he totaled 437 receiving yards with six scores, 638 kickoff return yards with one score, and 426 punt return yards. After the 2011 season, Houston decided he was expendable, letting him go in free agency.

Everything changed when the Ravens picked Jones up. While his role didn't change nominally - he was still the #3 receiver and return man - his impact skyrocketed. His 406 receiving yards and 341 punt return yards were pretty normal, but his 1167 kick return yards blew the league away, with only Joshua Cribbs getting (eleven) more yards. Field position and special teams often get ignored in place of other "big plays," but they are an integral part of any team's success, and Baltimore owes a lot of its success to Jones's abilities.

This impact lasted through the playoffs, making the biggest splash in the biggest game. His 147 receiving yards were only fourth on his team in the playoffs, but he had the longest reception: 70 yards. He gained 362 yards returning kicks, including his amazing Super Bowl touchdown, and 110 on punt returns. For comparison, the 49ers only got 193 kick return yards out of LaMichael James and Ted Ginn Jr. combined, with 52 from Ginn on punts.

Amazingly enough, Jacoby Jones's 108-yard return wasn't even unique to him; in week 6 against Dallas, Jones returned a kickoff 108 yards for a score. He tied the NFL record twice in the same season. He shares the title with only two other men: Ellis Hobbs of the New England Patriots and Randall Cobb of the Green Bay Packers. It was thought Jones broke the record in the Super Bowl, but the NFL changed the return from 109 to 108 yards upon review. Considering his stellar season, there's a good chance Jones will break his own record before long.

In the meantime, he'll surely be happy with his well-deserved Super Bowl ring.