ESPN suggests Detroit Lions sign Chris Jones as 'bold move' in NFL free agency 2024
The Detroit Lions will have plenty of options at their disposal when the new league year starts March 13 and NFL free agency 2024 begins.
They are already being linked to one high-profile All-Pro.
ESPN's NFL writer Aaron Schatz suggested Friday in his article picking "bold" offseason moves for each NFL franchise that the Lions should make a run at signing All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Schatz had suggestions for the other 31 teams, like the Minnesota Vikings trading Justin Jefferson instead of re-signing the young superstar wide receiver, in moves he described as "some of these are realistic and others are more far-fetched, but each would provide a significant change."
Jones has been an integral part of the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty over the past half-decade. He turns 30 in July.
There is no doubt signing Jones would have massive implications for the future of the Lions, both on the field for a defense that has struggled to produce consistent pressure, and on the salary cap sheet, because Jones would command one of the highest salaries for a defensive player in the league.
He could be a final piece that puts the Lions over the top to reach the Super Bowl for the first time, after coming up one game short this past season, or could hamstring the team financially in the future (or maybe both).
Jones, a three-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, has spent his entire career in Kansas City. Jones is a 3-technique defensive lineman — lining up between the guard and tackle — with the ability to play both on the inside and outside on the line, wreaking havoc wherever he lines up.
In 16 regular season games in 2023, Jones had 30 tackles, 13½ tackles for loss and 10½ sacks, following a year where he tied his career-high in sacks at 15½, finishing third in 2022 Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The one game Jones missed in 2023 was the season opener against the Lions after he couldn't settle a contract dispute with the Chiefs. Shortly after the Lions beat the then-defending Super Bowl champions on the road, he signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs worth $19.5 million in base salary, with $5 million in incentives, and earned most after another All-Pro year that ended in another Super Bowl victory.
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In his explanation, Schatz wrote: "The Lions are in great position this offseason as a division champion that also has cap space to improve. As a result the Lions will probably be tied to every major free agent who's available, especially on defense. There will be talk about a lot of veterans joining the Lions to try to break the curse and get them to the Super Bowl. But the best choice would be a player who already has won three of them: Jones of the Chiefs.
"Jones ranked second in pass rush win rate (19.6%) among defensive tackles despite facing a higher rate of double-teams than anybody else in the top 20. Meanwhile, the Lions were just 27th in pass rush win rate (35.8%) and could use some help to take attention away from edge rusher (Aidan) Hutchinson."
The move would be an expensive one, especially considering the Lions would have to woo Jones out of Kansas City. He has repeatedly said he wants to play his entire career there, including when he spoke at the Super Bowl parade to the thousands of Chiefs fans in attendance on Feb. 14.
Jones is eligible to be-resigned with the franchise tag, which would be worth approximately $32 million in 2024, at 120% of his 2023 salary, according to CBS Sports. Jones is one of two Chiefs defenders, along with cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, that could be tagged by the Chiefs this offseason.
If Jones isn't franchise tagged and becomes a free agent, that price tag would still be exorbitant as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, which has been trending to become one of the highest-paid and most-valued positions in the league.
The New York Jets signed Quinnen Williams last offseason to a 4-year, $96 million deal worth $24 million annually; Aaron Donald is on a three-year, $95 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams worth $31.67 million per year. It was reported before signing the one-year deal last offseason Jones wanted to have a contract that rivaled Donald's per-year dollar amount, meaning the Lions would have to commit a serious chunk of their free agency money to him.
The Lions theoretically could make a big splash, thanks to the large pool of available money they will have this offseason.
The NFL announced Friday the salary cap will jump at least $30 million to $255.4 million, up from $224.8 million for the 2023 season. The Lions have $171 million in committed salary for 2024, meaning they project to open the new league year with $63.7 million in cap room, eighth most in the NFL, according to OverTheCap.com.
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But, instead of a big splash, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has indicated they will be looking to preserve the team's existing young core of players instead of making splashes in the free agent market. The Lions have contract extensions on the horizon that could be costly for players like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill and Penei Sewell. The extensions for Goff, St. Brown and Sewell could make them among the highest-paid players in the NFL at their respective positions.
So, when taking into account the Lions' preferred plans for the offseason, despite the bevy of cap space, the Jones suggestion falls more into the "far-fetched bucket" instead of realistic in Schatz's bold move scenarios, based on Holmes' perceived offseason plans.
But you never know! Dream big, Lions fans.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions should go after Chris Jones in 'bold move,' ESPN says
