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The Las Vegas Raiders defensive line has come alive this season and is tied for 15th in the NFL with 40.0 sacks in 2023 but there’s still room for improvement. The team doesn’t get much of an interior pass rush as Adam Butler leads Raiders defensive tackles with 3.0 sacks.
If Las Vegas wants an elite defensive line, they need an elite defensive tackle. Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is set to be a free agent after the season and Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders need to pursue him.
“If the Raiders are looking for a way to close the gap between themselves and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West then luring Chris Jones to Sin City is a great start,” Ballentine wrote in a December 27 column.
“The Raiders haven’t had a real difference-maker on the interior in a long time. This year, Adam Butler leads their interior group with three sacks. Jerry Tillery (2) and Bilal Nichols (1.5) are the only others with more than one quarterback takedown.”
Jones has cemented himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL. He’s made four straight Pro Bowlers and was named First-Team All-Pro last season. Despite missing training camp and the first game of the season, he has 8.5 sacks and should be on his way to his fifth straight Pro Bowl.
Las Vegas Raiders Could ‘Kill Two Birds With One Stone’
The Chiefs have the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL (17.7 points allowed per game) and Chris Jones is a big reason for that. If the team loses him in free agency, they’ll be losing their best pass rusher and defensive player.
That would be a huge blow, which Alex Ballentine believes should also play a factor in why the Raiders should sign him.
“The Raiders have the money to make a splashy signing,” Ballentine wrote. “This is one that would kill two birds with one stone, weakening the Chiefs defense while making a huge addition to their own, making them an even more legitimate threat to the Chiefs in the division.”
Pairing Jones with Maxx Crosby would form one of the best defensive line duos in the NFL while also hurting the Chiefs’ defense.
Good start to Chris Jones’ Christmas 🎄
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Chris Jones Expected to Make $90 Million in Free Agency
Chris Jones held out all offseason and the start of the regular season for a new contract until the Chiefs finally folded. What it did show is that Kansas City may not have the necessary cap space to afford Jones.
It’s hard to imagine that the Chiefs could guarantee him $30 million next season with the franchise tag so there’s a real chance Jones could be moving on in free agency. However, it’s going to cost any team that wants to sign him, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“Since the franchise tag would cost the Chiefs more than $30 million in 2024, Jones is poised to hit the open market — and will be rewarded,” Fowler wrote in an October 3 column. “One veteran NFL agent forecasts a three-year, $90 million pact between Jones and a contender. An NFL executive saw something short of that … but close.”
The Raiders will have $53.5 million in salary cap space after the season, per Spotrac, and that’s before they make any moves. The team doesn’t have much money invested in the defense outside of Maxx Crosby so there’s no reason why they can’t finally splurge on an elite player like Jones.
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Raiders Pushed to Sign 4-Time Pro Bowl DL Projected to Make $90 Million