Yes, playing along with the standards and a few challenging obscure things is a fun way to learn, but if the focus is on learning to be able to hear/feel the clock in your head then a metronome is a valuable tool. It forces you to play your parts in perfect time, as there are no other parts covering for you when you stray, and there is no variance. There is a lot to be said for learning the classic licks though, and expanding on them. Most great players do this.

I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!