NFL.com Rates D.J. Jones as Broncos' Best Free-Agent Deal of 2022
Denver Broncos GM George Paton has navigated the free agency period as well as anyone could have possibly imagined this offseason.
From obtaining a legitimate top-10 quarterback in Russell Wilson, to signing (stealing?) ascending edge rusher Randy Gregory, to solidifying the secondary by signing slot corner K’Waun Williams, and retaining previous green dot-wearing linebacker Josey Jewell, amongst many other moves, the Broncos enter the second phase of free agency with zero gaping holes on the roster.
While the Broncos have done well in free agency, who has been Paton's best signing? According to NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthall, Denver’s best deal has been the signing of former San Francisco 49ers interior defensive lineman D.J. Jones.
"D.J. Jones to the Broncos for three years, $30 million, three years. $30 million is the cool kids' contract this offseason. The Bengals' B.J. Hill and the Jaguars' Foley Fatukasi are two other players in their prime who signed for twice as much money as Mitchell Trubisky with a fraction of the coverage. (And I like all these deals.) Jones is especially intriguing because he improved every season in San Francisco. He can play multiple positions in multiple fronts and will make his opponent look foolish a few times per game."
Indeed, Jones should certainly help the Broncos’ defense this season. While he was likely brought in for his run-stuffing ability, ranking No. 4 in the NFL last season with 47 run stops according to Pro Football Focus and first in the league in run-stop win rate according to Next Gen Stats, Jones also has the ability to win one-on-one matchups to rush the passer from the nose tackle spot aligned as a 0 or 1 technique.
How will the Broncos’ defensive line shake out now that Jones is on the roster? One thing is sure, the defensive coaches have an assortment of options and different body types to play in the trenches in 2022.
"The Broncos look so flexible with Dre'Mont Jones, Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed all possessing different skill sets. The focus in Denver will be on Russell Wilson, as it should be, but don't overlook a strong defense led by new coordinator Ejiro Evero and smart pickups like Jones."
Jones' addition to the Broncos should draw some question as to the future of former nose tackle Mike Purcell. When healthy, Purcell has been a serviceable run defender.
However, injuries have hampered Purcell over the past few seasons in Denver. Furthermore, releasing him can free up $2.8 million for the Broncos with a $1.5 million dead cap hit.
Why haven’t the Broncos done this yet? Probably because if the team waits to release Purcell with a post-June 1 designation, the team can save $3.5M this season with a $774K dead cap hit in both 2022 and 2023.
Bringing in Jones to play defensive line for the Broncos should greatly help a unit that was ranked No. 30 in run-stuff rate according to Football Outsiders last year. As the Broncos will mostly line up in some sort of nickel or dime sub-package, expect Jones to line up at 'nose' tackle with Dre'Mont Jones lined up as the 'under' tackle, helping to replace the loss of Shelby Harris. who was dealt to Seattle as part of the Wilson trade.
However, if the Broncos mimic the 2021 Los Angeles Rams with new defensive coordinator Ejero Evero, the alignment of the defensive line becomes more questionable. No doubt, the Broncos needed to get better in the trenches.
The team could still look for a defensive end for the 3-4 base package, a spot where it would appear McTelvin Agim may be first in line fill the Harris void and start. Regardless, with D.J. Jones’ ability to not only stuff the run but also rush the passer and slip off blocks, the 26-year old defender should offer a needed jolt to the Broncos upfront.
Was Jones one of the best signings of the offseason as Rosenthal suggests? Time will tell but that kind of recognition certainly doesn’t hurt.
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