I wouldn't say that.
He didn't earn all those trophies and accolades from high school til the day he left college because of the people around him. He was a damn good player, the emphasis is simply on WAS. He took too many injuries to areas essential to a OL. His back and foot, taking away power and movement. For a center, power and lateral movement is crucial and he lost a lot I think.
The pre-injury Jones could have made a mark on this team, but he just simply isn't the same player anymore.
It is really quite simple men. I'm gonna say being the victim of bad back surgeries and almost a pro body builder when I had the first one. Was nothing like what Dr. promised and he cut me 21+ inches and said he found more than he went looking for. I had been lifting Super really heavy. Just like Jones' back surgery even 3 decades later (ITS A BITCH) especially if you want or HAVE TO lift very heavy again daily for your proffession.
Everyone has different pain tolerance levels to add to that. Its chemical sometimes. I'm not ruling out his foot injury that I've never experienced. I just know that same injury was the main reason Trung Canidate failed as a pro besides Martz.(LOL) . Back injuries and OL NEVER MIX. You have to rebuild your core. All the muscles sliced through have to heal and then dealing with scar tissue like Brian Quick has been dealing with. You have to constantly tear and stretch it as a human torture routine. Fisher commented on the screams immanating from the trainers room all during Quicks rehab and what he's been going through.
You have to be able to bend as an OL and so many OL are too stiff and never learn to do it naturally. Staying low is so key along with lower body stength and foot movement. My feet are so freaking big I'm lucky to find one pair or have to have special made as my cleats were. I had to practice in my game white cleats as my high school could'nt afford two pairs special made. In seventies wearing the Joe Namath White cleats everyday,lol.
To finish ... I'd say the journey has'nt totally ended if he can beat the pain level but you also risk another disc from rupturing. kinda like unzipping. I had the bottom three rupture. Two later on after the first and lowest (S-1 -L-5) ruptured. Second surgery was even worse. Your % of a success gets lower with each successive back surgery. I could still bench heavy eventually but the excersizes you need to do heavy like squats were just too much for me. Felt like I was gonna explode or bust inside. Not to mention the pain after the reps . Most men would puke. So I don't envy what Jones and family are going through. Kudo's to him for everyday more he keeps his dreams alive. He visually does look like he needs a nutritionist as he has more baby fat still than he should at this point. On face,arms and his belly. Thought he would have access to the best advise from where and who he has been dealing with. (???)
I watched all the drafted centers in PS and Finney was a major surprise cut to me and have already posted we should have brought him in.(especially when they lost their starter Pouncey for a very long time) Surprisingly Dismukes did'nt suck but was'nt the size or player Finney could be with help. Finney is as good as Jones is right now and thats without injury and an offseason to grow like a pro and truly get better. Fisher wants versatility in HIS players. I want a pure center like we had in the past that played 8 years on average for us (Iman,Saul,Smith)14 Pro Bowls and 20+ years for the RAMS. I want a true real Pivot man. Sorry I disagree with Fishers approach. I get it folks get hurt and if you lose your true center than you have to replace with what? We had (5) centers go down in PS last year. Wichmann can play OG & C for us. I think he is a future starter for us. No way to stop it. So glad he is finally well and it was'nt a Jones type injury. NO INJURIES !!!