The Jacksonville Jaguars today signed unrestricted free agent CB Deon Figures to a contract and signed SS Dana Hall to an extended contract. Terms and length of the deals are undisclosed.
Figures is the first unrestricted free agent from another team to sign a contract with the Jaguars this year. The team has already signed its three unrestricted free agents who were starters last season: TE Derek Brown, OG Ben Coleman and CB Dave Thomas.
Figures, 27, played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last four seasons after being drafted in the first round out of Colorado in 1993. He started 22 games in four years, including 15 starts in 1994. He mostly served as the team's nickel back the last two seasons. Figures has three career interceptions, two of them last year (one against Jacksonville) and one fumble recovery.
Figures received the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football in 1992 and was a consensus All-American and All-Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year. He is a native of Bellflower, Calif.
Hall joined the Jaguars in 1996 as a veteran free agent. He started the last nine regular-season games and all three games in the playoffs after playing extensively as the fifth defensive back in the nickel defense for the first half of the season. For the year, Hall made 60 tackles (42 solo) and one interception.
In 1995, the Jaguars signed 12 unrestricted free agents from other teams and in '96 they signed five. Twelve of those 17 unrestricted free agents are still with the team. The previous signings of Brown, Coleman and Thomas means that all 22 starters from 1996 are signed for the 1997 season. The addition of Figures brings the Jaguars' current roster count to 66.
