Bears High-End DE Target Avoids Tag, Plans to Test Free Agency

The Chicago Bears won’t be able to make a run at defensive tackle Daron Payne after the Washington Commanders placed the franchise tag on him on March 1, but there is another high-level candidate for their defensive line who is now more firmly on track to hit free agency later this month.

According to Denver7’s Troy Renck, the Denver Broncos are not expected to use the franchise tag on veteran defensive end Dre’Mont Jones, who is planning to test the market as an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 15.

“The Broncos want him back, though they are not expected to franchise tag him by the March 7 deadline,” Renck wrote in a February 28 story, quoting Broncos general manager George Paton as saying Jones is “one of our players on defense.”

On the open market, Jones could command a contract in the range of $60 million to $70 million, The Score’s Jordan Schultz, and the Bears will have nearly $100 million in cap space, the most in the league, according to Spotrac.

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Jones Can Play Either DE or 3-Tech DT in Bears’ System

Even before the Commanders tagged Payne, Jones was considered a top potential free agent fit for the Bears as they explore ways to improve their lacking defensive line, according to outlets such as ESPN’s Matt Bowen and Forbes’ Phil Rogers.

Like Payne, Jones is an ascending talent who has only just begun to enter his NFL prime. Despite missing four games on injured reserve, he finished with a team-high 6.5 sacks along with nine tackles for a loss, 10 quarterback hits and a forced fumble over 13 games for the Broncos in 2022. He is also a versatile scheme fit for Chicago’s 4-3 defensive scheme under head coach Matt Eberflus.

The upside of someone like Jones for the Bears is his ability to play both off the edge as a defensive end and in the critical role of 3-tech defensive tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he has split his nearly 2,200 career defensive snaps between interior and outside roles in the Broncos’ 3-4 defense. The nature of the 3-4 scheme has also forced him to contend with more double teams, whereas moving to a 4-3 scheme in Chicago would give him more space to do damage as a pass rusher.

Realistically, the Bears might be able to lock him down on a four-year, $64 million deal that would put Jones a little above what New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson got, but it depends on how much Jones is willing to test the market — and how interested Chicago is in getting him with other options to consider for their line. Spotrac projects that Jones can command a four-year deal worth $68 million, which would make him sixth on the list of highest-paid defensive ends.

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Javon Hargrave’s Situation Will Be Worth Monitoring

The Bears are getting some much-needed clarity on some of the top prospective free agent defensive linemen on the market this offseason, but there is still one high-profile name that Chicago should be watching very closely: the Philadelphia Eagles’ Javon Hargrave.

Hargrave is the essence of what the Bears need as the centerpiece of their defensive line. He is a tried and true 3-tech defensive tackle — a piece that Eberflus has called the “engine” of his defensive scheme — who makes a habit out of penetrating offensive lines and harassing opposing quarterbacks. Even at 30 years old, he has shown few signs of slowing down and is coming off another fantastic year for the Eagles in which he notched 10 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 60 total tackles while playing in every game on the way to a Super Bowl appearance.

He will unquestionably be the best defensive tackle on the market if the Eagles allow him to reach free agency, and that should definitely appeal to the cash-flush Bears as they continue their rebuild. Hargrave has missed just three games over his six seasons.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said the team would like to have Hargrave back for 2023, according to CBS Sports.

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