Former MD standout earns new deal...

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Former Maryland football standout earns new deal, chance to make first NFL impact​

Good news for a former Maryland football standout.​

Jeshaun Jones didn't get a chance to show his stuff during game action this season as a rookie, but the Minnesota Vikings saw enough promise from him to keep him around, nonetheless. The former Maryland football standout has signed a futures deal with the Vikings, the team announced.

An undrafted free agent who signed with the team after the draft, Jones was waived and signed to the practice squad before the season. Despite not playing in the regular season, the physical Florida native impressed during camp.

"Jones pops almost daily. He has made contested catches ... He transitions smoothly into his routes," The Athletics' Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis wrote at the time. "He's a name to keep an eye on."

The Vikings have a superstar receiver in Justin Jefferson and a budding star in Jordan Addison, but there's opportunity behind them.

An NFL futures contract means the player isn't technically under contract until the next season, so his salary doesn't count against the salary cap. But other teams can't sign him, unlike practice squad players. They also earn more money than practice squad players, though Jones' salary hasn't been announced. Before the season he reportedly signed a three-year, $2.84 million contract with a $225,000 guaranteed base salary, the highest among all of their undrafted free-agent signings


Via Rotoballer:

The Minnesota Vikings signed wide receiver Jeshaun Jones to a Reserve/Futures deal on Friday, the team announced. Jones was with Minnesota for much of the 2024 season on their practice squad but never appeared in a regular-season game. The 25-year-old pass-catcher from Fort Myers, Florida, will now be hoping to continue his development with the organization this offseason and into training camp in the summer. Jones went undrafted out of Maryland. In addition to Jones, the Vikings also signed offensive tackle Trevor Reid, defensive tackle Travis Bell, guard Henry Byrd, defensive backs Kahlef Hailassie and Reddy Steward, defensive end Jonathan Harris, wide receiver Lucky Jackson, tackle Marcellus Johnson, linebacker Gabriel Murphy, quarterback Brett Rypien and running back Zavier Scott to Reserve/Future contracts on Friday.

More on Jones via the Vikings press release:

• In his six-year career (2018-23), played in 48 games and recorded 151 receptions for 2,040 yards and 14 touchdowns.
• Voted a team captain for the 2023 season.
• Led Maryland with single-season career highs in receptions (56), receiving yards (790) and yards per game (60.8) in 2023. Ranked fifth in the Big Ten in each of the three categories.
• In 2022, appeared in 13 games with 11 starts and led team in receiving with 44 receptions for 557 yards.
• Caught four touchdown passes.
• As a true freshman in 2018, scored seven touchdowns (five receiving, two rushing), registering 22 receptions for 288 yards and 18 rushes for 173 yards, as well as a 20-yard passing touchdown.
• Had the most receiving touchdowns (five) by a freshman since Stefon Diggs in 2012.
• Recorded a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown on each of his first three career touches in his college debut against Texas (9/1/18).