Former Denver Broncos defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones has been a member of the Seattle Seahawks for less than one month, but is still making headlines in Denver.
On April 10, Jones met with the Seattle media and told them that he feels like he should’ve been a Seahawk earlier.
“I mean, s***, they should have just traded me from the jump. I was included in the trade. Denver said no…Denver didn’t pay me my proper respects, so I’m here because they (Seahawks) respected me from the jump”
The Broncos sent quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick to the Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick in March of 2022.
On March 13, Jones signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks worth $51.5 million and $23.5 million guaranteed.
How the Deal Got Done in Seattle
Entering the offseason, the Broncos had the opportunity to place a franchise tag on Jones that would’ve cost them up to $19.7 million, but Denver decided not to.
On February 28, Broncos general manager George Paton spoke to the media at the NFL Combine and said that conversations were good with Jones’ agent.
“I’ve spoken with his agent, Kyle McCarthy from Athletes First. I’ve had a number of conversations with Dre’Mont. Dre’Mont’s a very good player. He’s one of our core players on defense. So, it’s been very positive.”
According to Troy Renck of Denver7, the Broncos were expected to prioritize re-signing Jones the week of the combine.
Jones was asked during his radio interview if conversations amped up between his agent and the Seahawks at the combine.
“There wasn’t much traction from my belief at the combine.”
So, what went wrong with the negotiations with the Broncos?
“I don’t wanna make things sound negative, but Denver was kind of playing games. Seattle came calling in and they kind of presented us with their idea what they wanted me to do and the total amount and we just rolled with that,” Jones said.
Jones mentioned that he didn’t think he was going to end up in Seattle and said, “They kind of came in hot and out of nowhere and I appreciate it.”
Jones Had a Career Year in 2022
While playing on the final year of his rookie contract, it came as no surprise that Jones would have the best season of his young NFL career.
Last season, Jones tied his career high in sacks with 6.5, tackle for losses with nine, and 10 quarterback hits. Jones also had a career-high 47 combined tackles.
Over the past three seasons, Jones has sacked the quarterback 18 times in 42 games.
It’s worth noting that Jones had 5.5 sacks in 2022 before the Broncos traded away pass rusher Bradley Chubb. After the trade, Jones had just one sack in five games before being placed on season-ending injured reserve with a hip injury.
Jones would miss the final four games of the season.
Denver replaced Jones with former Arizona Cardinals defensive end Zach Allen.
The Broncos signed Allen a three-year deal worth $45.7 million with $32.5 million of it guaranteed.
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Dre’Mont Jones Takes Shot at Broncos After Signing in Seattle