3. Chicago Bears
As of right now, the Chicago Bears are not expected to spare any expense when it comes to 2023 NFL free agency. They are equipped with nearly $100 million in cap space, currently, and have more flexibility than any other team in the NFL.
And by flexibility, I of course mean that the Bears can really just do whatever they want. They can offer any player anything they want. I think Bears GM Ryan Poles (who came from Kansas City) will still operate wisely, but I don't think he'll hesitate to pay over market value for players in order to get them to Chicago.
Free agency is going to be critical for the Bears in 2023, and a player like Dre'Mont Jones could be the centerpiece of their overall haul. The Bears could afford to give Dre'Mont Jones a $100 million contract with 2/3 of it guaranteed, if that's what he wants. The Broncos could, too, but have they drawn a line in the sand?
The Bears don't give off any sort of "line in the sand" types of vibes right now. They appear very ready to spend a lot of money, and if Dre'Mont Jones became available, I think they would be among the teams most interested in stealing him away from the Broncos.
This would/will be a brutal loss for the Denver defense if it happens. Perhaps the Broncos are confident that they could go out and sign someone like Zach Allen to "replace" Dre'Mont Jones at a fraction of the cost. Perhaps they have other ideas in mind. Whatever the case, I think while the Broncos have stated they would like to see Dre'Mont Jones back, they obviously aren't desperate to have him stay.