Ohio State Quarterback Cardale Jones Should Not Listen to Kanye West

Yeezy has dropped several gems throughout his masterful tenure his advice suggested on “Devil in a New Dress” is not one of them. On a standout line, of a standout track on a standout album he decried, “Don’t leave while ya hot that’s how Ma$E screwed up.” Indeed the aforementioned king of Harlem World did bow out far too early. Mason Betha’s career was still warming up when he traded in New York City rhymesaying for a more modest (I suppose) life as an Atlanta bible thumper. However, after witnessing his historic climb over the last month and a half, I want to encourage brother Cardale to beware of false prophets. Mr. Jones, please eschew Kanye’s convential wisdom and cash your nifty championship token in for an NFL contract.

Here’s why:

1. He’ll get paid a minimum $6,000 a week
Being an NFL minuteman is the worst case scenario for Jones right now. If his stock nosedives between now and this year’s draft, teams might still want to employ him. An agreement reached by the NFLPA and the league last August expanded the size of practice squads to 10, up from the maximum 8 men in previous years, this nets an overall increase of 64 spots. Working for 6 stacks a week in say, Jacksonville or some other affordable city ain’t too shabby. It surely beats working for free in Columbus. Besides, in-state tuition is just north of $10,000 per year at Ohio State, so if he really needed to go back and score that degree, two weeks’ worth of being someone’s tackling dummy should foot the bill.

Division foes that face players with Jones’ brand of skill set should consider him. He could simulate game like situations for defenses, and at 6’5” 249 pounds he at the very least has a future as a Cam Newton or Big Ben stuntman. With a big arm, size, pocket elusiveness and scrambling ability, he could run the scout team with gusto and prove an invaluable asset in readying for bouts with division foes twice a year. And as Jones has already proven in college and Steelers running back Josh Harris (Go Deacs!) just reassured with his start in the playoffs — with talent and arduous ethic you can rise from the lowest tiers of depth charts to taking snaps on gameday in short order.

2. He’s brimming with upside
The 3-game window into life with Jones at the helm looks pretty rosy for any would be taker. An impressive NFL combine joined with solid workouts could enable him to parlay his brief audition into a full-fledged role as a coveted prospect. Scouts and analysts are trying to figure out if he’s in the same realm as Jameis Winston and/or Mariotta as well as a few others like UCLA’s Brett Hundley. They’ll have ample opportunity to further evaluate in the coming months. Even if he is raw and relatively untested, quarterback coaches should relish the chance to develop such a unique talent. Cardale is another option to consider as many quarterback questions remain unsolved at the outset of this NFL season.

3. He’s not a guaranteed starter next year at Ohio State
If he comes back to Ohio State he may have to compete with at least two other talented quarterbacks. It is hard to imagine benching a champion but Urban Meyer has never feared a healthy QB competition. Chris Leak can attest to this, he was well on his way to polishing off an illustrious career with the Meyer-lead Florida Gators when freshman Tim Tebow arrived on campus looking to leave Leak bereft of his starting spot in the name of the Lord. Ultimately, Leak lead UF to a national championship victory over Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes but not without having to relinquish a portion of his snaps to the younger Tebow. For Cardale’s sake, at least “jonesing” is already a verb so he won’t have to worry about his name becoming an example of anthimeria like “tebowing.” Also, hopefully he won’t be hated by John Elway.

In conclusion, even though Yeezy taught me a lot of vital lessons, the anti-Mason Betha pledge is one you need not to adhere to, at least if you’re a young budding star who won a championship after emerging from the 3rd string. For now, Cardale Jones claims that he’s not ready for the NFL which is smart, keep adding to the allure—but to him I pose this question: Your school will certainly cash out on your stellar performance, will you?
“Runaway fast as you can.”