ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With this 35th birthday a month away, what he's been through and the fact he was on the outside looking in as 32 teams have gone through the preseason, Adam Jones knows his chance with the Denver Broncos might be a last one to show he can still be an impact player in the NFL.
"I'm the last man on the post, I have to work my way up," Jones said. "I'm just waiting ... my number will be called, and when it gets called I'll be ready."
The Broncos signed Jones to a one-year deal Sunday and Jones practiced with the team for the first time Monday. After three preseason games, the Broncos believed they still needed depth at cornerback and at returner.
Coach Vance Joseph said after practice that he and Broncos president of football operations/general manager John Elway had discussed that Jones is "a special returner," and that he "solves two issues with one body."
Joseph was also Jones' position coach for two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and has an understanding of Jones' off-the-field issues, including a suspension for the entire 2007 season as well as a one-game suspension in 2017.
Jones said he was open, and would continue to be open, with the Broncos about his past. He called Joseph "almost like a big brother, father figure to me."
"I'm one of the ones that don't mind telling the kids my stories, the mistakes I've made," Jones said. "I don't have no shield, my life is a glass life, nothing that I'm hiding from nobody. I have ... three beautiful kids, that's what life is about for me now. I'm about to turn 35 and the best thing I can do is at least win a playoff game. I've been in the league 12 years and I haven't won a playoff game."
"It's two parts, it's football character, and I've coached him two seasons and his football character is A-plus," Joseph said. "He's great in meetings, he's great in the locker room, he's played a long time in this league. OK, now, personal character, we all know the background, he would even acknowledge as a young guy he made some mistakes, but he's paid for every mistake. ... Obviously it was his own doing, but he's matured ... he wants to win football games.''
Jones has played 139 games in 11 NFL seasons. He has career averages of 10.5 yards per punt return and 26 yards per kickoff return; both of those figures are more than Denver's regulars at each spot averaged last season.
Joseph said he didn't know if Jones would see any time in the Broncos' preseason finale Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals. But he is expected to make the team's 53-man roster and play in the regular-season opener, Sept. 9 against the Seattle Seahawks.
"I'm here to help and lead the best way that I can," Jones said.