Tag: free agency rumors

DT Chris Jones must absolutely be the Cardinals’ top priority this offseason

The Arizona Cardinals will be looking to bolster their porous 2019 defense with big additions this offseason. They should look no farther than Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs, who is a dominant force on the defensive line.

It’s no secret the Arizona Cardinals will be looking to allocate their offseason resources to fixing their porous 2019 defense, but how exactly should they go about doing it?

As if the answer wasn’t already clear enough, the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominant defensive Super Bowl performance against the 49ers gave Steve Keim and company a very easy blueprint for fixing their defense.

Sign defensive tackle Chris Jones to a lucrative contract.

The Cardinals are in desperate need of a revitalized pass rush. They have arguably the league’s best in Chandler Jones, but even he can’t do it all on his own.

Last Sunday, Jones had property in the 49ers’ backfield. He helped limit their potent rushing attack and made Garoppolo uncomfortable all night.

This was one of the biggest plays of the game for the Chiefs, and cornerback Bashaud Breeland will get most of the credit on this play. But pay attention to No. 95. Chris Jones puts immediate pressure on Jimmy G, forcing the poor decision and the subsequent turnover. Jones also had a couple key deflections late in the game that allowed Patrick Mahomes to lead their team back from a ten-point deficit.

There is a long time until March 18th, when the new league year begins and free agents can officially sign with new teams. Jones has been very outspoken about wanting to be a Chief for the entirety of his career, but it remains to be seen if Kansas City will be financially able to make that a reality.

Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is due for a monster payday, and the team just dished out heavy contracts to DE Frank Clark and WR Tyreek Hill. Recent rumors have suggested the Chiefs and WR Sammy Watkins may be parting ways, so that would generate some cap relief. The Chiefs may also be in the market for extending star tight end Travis Kelce, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.  Between Mahomes and Kelce, the impending contract extensions facing the Chiefs could leave Chris Jones as the odd man out.

So, what sort of contract would Chris Jones command? The two current contracts to keep an eye on are Philadelphia’s Fletcher Fox and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams. Jones has played his way into the same conversation as these two perennial All-Pros, so the contract he receives will likely be similar to theirs.

Cox signed a six-year, 102 million dollar deal that pays him an average annual salary of 17 million. Donald, on the other hand, signed for the same duration but is making 135 million and 22 million per year.

With Jones playing as well as he did in Kansas City’s postseason run, coupled with his nine sack 2019 regular season and his whopping 15.5 sack 2018 campaign, one would expect him to receive a similar contract.

How does this fit in with the Cardinals? They certainly have a few notable holes to fill this offseason, highlighted by right tackle, wide receiver, inside linebacker, and defensive line. Many would argue that the Cards would be wise to use their cap space to fill more holes as opposed to spending for a premium piece like Jones.

That is the mindset that has kept this organization in mediocrity for five years.

The Cardinals need star power. They are on the right track with Kyler Murray at the helm, and have a solid defensive nucleus to build upon with Chandler Jones, Budda Baker, and Patrick Peterson, but they need more.

Chris Jones is one of the best players at his position- a position the Cardinals desperately need. Pairing Chandler and Chris Jones would spell doom for opposing quarterbacks every Sunday, which would in turn take heaps of pressure off the rebuilding Cardinals secondary. (Plus, you’d have two All-Pros in the front seven named Jones. Maybe it’s a sign).

If the Kansas City Chiefs are unable to extend their superstar defensive lineman, it is critical that the Cardinals pay whatever it takes to send Jones to the desert.

Follow @alexsuttonnfl on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest Cardinals news and rumors. 

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Ep. 257

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Ep. 256

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