Getty Denver Broncos DL Dre'Mont Jones celebrating after a big stop against the Las Vegas Raiders.
With things getting going out in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, there are a lot of discussions happening between agents, coaches, and general managers.
For the Denver Broncos, the biggest discussion has surrounded defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones.
After having his best year of his career, Jones is not expected to receive the franchise tag, per Mike Klis of 9News. Jones’ tag would cost either $18.9 million or $19.7 million depending on which position he gets identified as between a defensive end or defensive tackle.
Just because the Broncos are not planning on placing the tag on Jones, it doesn’t mean that Denver doesn’t want him back.
As the Broncos still try and work out a deal with their sack leader from the 2022 season, general manager George Paton said conversations have been 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 are expected to prioritize re-signing Jones this week at the combine.
Dre’Mont Jones Wants Big Money
As talks continue to progress in Indianapolis, numbers have come out as to what Jones is asking on the open market.
According to Jordan Schultz, Jones plans to test the free agent market and ask for between $60-$70 million on his next deal.
This means that the average money per year is likely to be at least $18 million per year because of the franchise tag price.
If Jones isn’t getting the offers he wants in free agency, there’s a real chance that he could return to the Broncos on a multi-year deal, per Klis.
On February 21, Matt Bowen explained why he thinks Jones would be a great fit for the Chicago Bears.
“With edge/interior flexibility, Jones is a high-end mover who shows a quick first step off the ball and the short-area juice to penetrate versus the run game or create pass rush production. In ’22, he registered 6.5 sacks and 28 pressures, and his pass rush win rate when lined up inside (15.9%) ranked sixth among all defenders. He is an ascending player who would immediately upgrade a talent-deficient Bears pass rush, and I expect Jones to cash in with a long-term deal. The Bears allowed almost 5 yards per rush last season, and their sack total of 20 was last in the NFL.”
According to Spotrac.com, the Bears will have $98.8 million in cap space as they get closer to the beginning of free agency.
Dre’Mont 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.