When the NFL free agency of 2024 gets underway on March 13 and the new league year gets underway, the Detroit Lions will have an abundance of options at their disposal.
They already have a high-profile All-Pro associated with them.
The NFL writer for ESPN, Aaron Schatz, recommended on Friday that the Lions try to sign All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones in his piece highlighting the “bold” offseason moves made by each NFL team.
The Minnesota Vikings, for example, may consider dealing Justin Jefferson rather of re-signing the young, talented wide receiver. Schatz offered options for the other 31 clubs, saying that “some of these are realistic and others are more far-fetched, but each would provide a significant change.”
Without a doubt, signing Jones would have a significant impact on the Lions’ future, both on the field for a defence that has failed to apply consistent pressure and off the field due to Jones’ demand for one of the biggest contracts in the league for a defensive player.
He might be the deciding factor that advances the Lions to the Super Bowl for the first time, having fallen one game short the previous season, or he might hurt the team’s finances going forward (or maybe both).
Jones has played his whole career in Kansas City. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Pro Bowler, and two-time first-team All-Pro. Jones is a three-technique defensive lineman who can play both inside and outside the line. He can cause havoc wherever he lines up. Jones lines up between the guard and the tackle.2023 saw Jones play in 16 regular season games, recording 30 tackles, 13½ tackles for loss, and 10½ sacks. This came after a season in which he tied his career-high of 15½ sacks and placed third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022. Jones missed one game in 2023, the season opener against the Lions, due to a disagreement over a contract; shortly after the Chiefs defeated the then-defending Super Bowl champions on the road, Jones signed a one-year contract worth $19.5 million in base salary plus $5 million in incentives, with the majority of his earnings coming from another All-Pro season that concluded with another Super Bowl victory.
DRAFT STRATEGY: Unconventional was successful for the Lions in the NFL Draft of 2023, but this spring don’t anticipate imitations.
Schatz provided the following justification in his explanation: “As a division champion with cap space to spare, the Lions are in a great position this offseason. The Lions will thus most likely be bound to sign every significant free agent that becomes available, particularly in the defensive end. There will be talk about a number of veterans joining the Lions to try to break the curse and get them to the Super Bowl. But the greatest candidate would be a player who already has won three of them: Jones of the Chiefs.
“Jones faced more double teams than any other defensive lineman in the game, yet he still finished second in pass rush victory percentage (19.6%).
