Eagles sign Brad Jones to add depth at linebacker

The Eagles added their first free agent of the offseason Monday by signing inside linebacker Brad Jones, a 28-year-old, six-year veteran who was released by the Green Bay Packers last month.

Jones, 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds, signed a two-year contract and will provide depth at a position that sorely needs it.

The Eagles will return starters Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans, although Ryans is coming off his second ruptured Achilles tendon. Emmanuel Acho and Casey Matthews were the top reserves last season, and Matthews is a pending free agent. Najee Goode and Travis Long, who were expected to contribute last year, are also coming off season-ending injuries.

That means Jones, a seventh-round draft choice in 2009 out of Colorado, will have a chance to compete at a position that is likely to have spots to be won during training camp and the preseason.

But Jones said he did not pay attention to the depth chart when he signed with the Eagles. It was the team's culture that won him over.

"It's unique," Jones said in a conference call. "I wanted to be a part of that."

Jones, who was released Feb. 20, visited the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and came to Philadelphia on Monday. He did not want to visit elsewhere after meeting with the Eagles' coaching and support staff. He learned about the sports science program and the defensive scheme, plus the team's emphasis on special teams.

"The players as well as the staff are kind of cohesively on one path and one goal, and that's to be great," Jones said. "And I don't think that attitude is bred in a lot of places."

In Green Bay, Jones started 36 games over six seasons and played both inside linebacker spots and on special teams. He spent the first three years of his career at outside linebacker. Jones totaled 293 tackles, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles over 76 games. He also started five of seven postseason contests, adding 32 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.

Jones' Packers career stalled last year. After starting 22 games during the previous two seasons, he started only the opener last season and spent most of the season as a reserve. Jones attributed the change to an early-season injury and said he was "lost in the shuffle" upon his return.

"It's a common story," he said.

The Eagles offer a new start, and it's a position at which the team needs depth. It's just the beginning of what is expected to be a busy March for Chip Kelly's team.

@ZBerm