Broncos make big move to address defensive line in free agency

It took most of day one of the NFL’s legal tampering period for the Denver Broncos to make a big move, but they finally decided to join the party on Monday night. 

The Broncos have agreed to a deal with free-agent defensive lineman D.J. Jones, who has spent his entire five-year career to this point with the San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos came with a big deal and got the big man to agree.

Reportedly, the deal, which can become official with the start of the new league year on Wednesday, will reportedly be worth $30 million over three years, with $20 million guaranteed.

Broncos free-agent signing D.J. Jones is a run-stuffing defensive lineman

Broncos fans were likely hoping to hear a bigger name come across the board such as Chandler Jones or a returning Von Miller, but defensive line is probably the weakest unit on the team and Jones will make an immediate impact.

A sixth-round pick out of Mississippi in 2017, Jones has played in 61 games for the 49ers, making 46 starts. He played in all 17 games last year and for his career, has 126 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles.

Though he can put some pressure on the quarterback at times, Jones will be relied on to be the team’s primary run-stopper going forward and should be an upgrade over Shelby Harris in that department.

The Broncos may need to add another defensive lineman through free agency or the draft as Dre’Mont Jones is the only other proven option on the roster. But D.J. Jones is a big get for the team and one that will do the dirty work inside that allows the athletes behind him to make plays.

The Broncos have been pretty quiet thus far in free agency and though this is not the kind of signing that is going to grab a ton of headlines, it’s one that makes the defense much better than it was earlier in the day.