The Denver Broncos could end up losing Dre'Mont Jones in free agency. The bad side of that? Well, you would be losing one of your best defensive players and a young player at that, someone who general manager George Paton recently called a "core player" on this roster. On the other side of that coin, letting Dre'Mont Jones walk in free agency could mean more money invested at other positions, specifically offensively, where the Broncos have invested among the least in the entire NFL the last handful of years.
Given the Broncos are now dealing with Walmart money, I don't think anyone really wants to hear any more financial, penny-pinching types of excuses when it comes to this team being built. Cap space is certainly a factor, but in the end, it's also not, really.
The Broncos are apparently letting Jones hit the free agent market coming up in a couple of weeks. They are also apparently not using the franchise tag on him. So, what if the 26-year-old hits the market and decides to take an offer elsewhere? Who is going to try to steal him from the Broncos? Let's look at three possibilities.
3 teams that could steal Dre'Mont Jones away from the Denver Broncos in 2023 free agency
1. Miami Dolphins
When you look at Dre'Mont Jones hitting free agency, I think you have to start with the Miami Dolphins and their new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, right? Fangio was the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2019 when the team drafted Jones out of Ohio State in the first place. Jones got his shot in the NFL under Fangio and his staff, and he grew into a stud playing in Fangio's defense.
That obviously continued this past year under Ejiro Evero, who ran a similar defense to what Fangio had been running, but familiarity often comes into play when it comes to NFL free agency. Not that Jones would scoff at the chance to play for the Panthers, but I think playing for Fangio again in Miami has its appeal for a couple of reasons.
1. Florida is income tax free as a state, so Jones could maximize his money there
2. He would be able to reunite with Bradley Chubb
Jones was pretty outspoken about the Denver Broncos' decision to trade Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins last year, and I think it's reasonable to assume that he would not mind reuniting with Chubb who signed a big-money deal with the Dolphins shortly after the trade.
Is there enough cash to go around in Miami? No doubt. Cap space? That's another question, but teams can almost always find ways around that.
2. Houston Texans
The San Francisco 49ers defense has been an absolute factory for defensive linemen in recent years. Whether we're talking about Robert Saleh running the defense or DeMeco Ryans, defensive linemen have excelled tremendously in this defense. Last offseason, the Broncos poached from the Texans, signing DJ Jones in 2022 NFL free agency.
Could DeMeco Ryans get back at them in 2023 by signing away Dre'Mont Jones? It's possible. The Texans have some of the most cap space out of any team in the entire NFL. They are certainly going to revamp their defensive personnel with Ryans now in the fold, and general manager Nick Caserio has already picked up a number of former Broncos among his many free agent signings in the last couple of years.
Dre'Mont Jones would be a massive coup for Houston in free agency. We know that Jones is sick of losing in Denver, so why Houston? Well, players vouch for DeMeco Ryans as a coach, and you could see Ryans turning that ship around real fast now that he's in charge of the operation. It also stands to reason that Houston might be willing to "overpay" a little bit for a player like Jones to get him to come to Houston.
Just like in Florida, the state of Texas is also income tax free, so Jones would be able to maximize his value on a team where he would be one of the top stars, and where he would get to play for DeMeco Ryans', who has routinely put his guys in the best position to be productive.
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.