The Indianapolis Colts have some major needs ahead of themselves this offseason and chiefly among them comes at the defensive tackle position. Could this make Chris Jones a top priority in free agency?
The Road So Far
A second-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jones has been one of the premier interior pass rushers in the league. He has 33.0 career sacks over four seasons—all but two of which have come in the last three campaigns.
Jones has been a driving force for the Chiefs defense since being drafted and was on the team when Colts general manager Chris Ballard was a big part of the front office under John Dorsey.
In 2019, Jones appeared in 13 games while recording 9.0 sacks and 20 quarterback hits.
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Fit With The Colts
Given how badly the Colts need help at the three-technique, Jones is the ideal free-agent target. He’s still young (25), he’s a perfect fit for the gap-shooting front, Ballard already knows the character side of the player and he’s been extremely productive since entering the league. Since the 2017 season began, Jones has 31.0 sacks—good for fifth-most in the NFL and third-most among defensive tackles.
Standing at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Jones has the versatility to work all over the defensive line. He’s mostly used as the three-technique where he can get upfield quickly, but he also has the size to work at nose tackle if need be. The Colts would likely use Jones mostly as a penetrating three-technique, though.
There are some intriguing options for the Colts to consider at defensive tackle, but not many are better fits than Jones.
Price
This is where the optimism likely gets drained. Jones is about to get paid. There’s no way around it. The Chiefs are struggling for salary-cap space and they have yet to sign Patrick Mahomes to a contract extension—one that will change the market for quarterbacks.
This leaves Kansas City with two options. Either they let Jones walk or they apply the franchise tag and try to trade him away for draft picks. If he hits the market, Jones could be approaching the $20 million mark annually, per Spotrac’s market value model. That’s likely out of the price range Ballard is willing to pay even if there is history and a massive need at his position.
Conclusion
Jones will be one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league by the time the offseason is through. Odds are the Colts don’t make a move to sign him even though they should pursue his talents heavily. He is a perfect fit for the Colts but until Ballard shows he is willing to pay up for a near-elite talent, it’s difficult to see Jones landing in Indy.