Washington adds Dwaune Jones as national scout, parts ways with Chris Polian

Washington’s front office churn continues today as the team adds one more piece and loses a familiar face.

Dwaune Jones, the Falcons’ Assistant Director of College Scouting for the past three years, has been added to Washington’s front office as a national scout. Prior to working for Atlanta, Jones was a scout with the Saints (2005-2016) and Ravens (2017-2020) for almost 15 years. Jones also bounced around the NFL as a wide receiver for a couple of years, from 2000 to 2002.

A profile of Jones from a couple of years ago explains his scouting style:

Evaluating players is subjective. There is no telling how a player will adapt to a different environment and a new system. Some skills in college are indicators that a player will be successful in the NFL but, like anything, it is not a perfect system.

Still, Jones has perfected his scouting process and become one of the best talent evaluators in the league. Jones has scouted and helped find players like Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, Malik Harrison, Chris Ivory, and others in previous stops with the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.

Jones’ success has come from his unwavering confidence and willingness to embrace mistakes; it’s a process he calls faith over fear.

“You’re going to make mistakes,” Jones said. “You’re going to miss on players. If you can accept that, that means that you’ll be great. Many people won’t put themselves out there for fear of missing, but fear is what’s gonna separate you from average. Be fearless, don’t worry about what people think. Hold true to your convictions.”

Meanwhile, Polian, who had joined Washington in 2021, leaves for Cleveland for another nebulous role in their front office.