Broncos 7 replacements in free agency if Dre'Mont Jones leaves

The Denver Broncos may soon find themselves living in a world where Dre'Mont Jones is no longer a member of the team. The 2019 third-round pick is going to test free agency, and he could very well leave the Broncos in just a couple of weeks. What does that mean for general manager George Paton, head coach Sean Payton, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph?

It means contingency plans will be needed and they will have to find a way to add talent on the line to replace what Jones was bringing to the table. The possibility still exists that the Broncos could bring Dre'Mont Jones back into the fold at $16-18 million per season, but if he leaves in free agency, there are options (before roster cuts start really rolling in) that could make sense.

In no particular order, let's take a look at seven of them.

7 options for Denver Broncos in free agency if Dre'Mont Jones leaves

1. A'Shawn Robinson (free agent, Rams)

One of the first places to look when you're talking about some potential replacements for a guy like Dre'Mont Jones? How about players defensive line coach Marcus Dixon has had in the past? That could end up paying dividends for the Broncos this year in free agency as the Rams actually have a couple of decent options to look at on the defensive line, including A'Shawn Robinson.

Robinson has played the last three seasons with the Rams after starting off his career with Detroit. He will be 28 this coming season and has undoubtedly offered more throughout his career in the running game than he has as a pass rusher. If we're talking about one-for-one replacements for Dre'Mont Jones, Robinson probably isn't it. But he could be an effective early down piece and someone with familiarity with defensive line coach Marcus Dixon.

2. Greg Gaines (free agent, Rams)

Speaking of the Los Angeles Rams, another player that could come in at a budget-friendly price who has connections to defensive line coach Marcus Dixon is Greg Gaines.

Gaines has been productive against the run, he's been a solid pass rusher, and he's certainly an intriguing option when you consider his connection on the Broncos' coaching staff. He will be 27 to start the season and that's the kind of guy you perhaps target in free agency because you can count on them being productive longer than older free agents.

Pairing up Gaines with DJ Jones would give the Broncos two really good run defenders on the interior, and their ability to penetrate the interior would help open up other opportunities for guys on the edge.

3. David Onyemata (free agent, Saints)

A three-year deal for David Onyemata might be one of the better investments a team makes in the 2023 offseason. Somewhat quietly, Onyemata has been consistently one of the more productive interior pass rushers in the NFL for the last five or six years. He has at least 10 QB hits in each of the past four seasons. He has 13.5 sacks since 2020 as well as 53 total pressures in that timeframe.

We've emphasized coaching connections with the first two potential targets on this list and Onyemata is no different. He obviously played in New Orleans under Sean Payton for years, and would be a familiar face coming in. He's been productive enough that he might price himself out of the true "discount" range and could net a contract worth around $10 million per year, but if the Broncos are looking to sign two starters for the price of one Dre'Mont Jones, Onyemata seems like a solid option in this team's current window.

4. Sheldon Rankins (free agent, Jets)

Have we mentioned any players with coaching connections yet? It just so happens that Sheldon Rankins was once a first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints. Rankins has played the last couple of years as a member of the New York Jets, where he racked up 6.0 sacks, 14 QB hits, and 22 QB pressures in two seasons.

Those numbers aren't earth-shattering, by any means, but Rankins is 28 going on 29 and has still been productive playing between 50-55 percent of his team's snaps dating back to his final two years in New Orleans. The rumor out there right now is that Rankins is looking for a deal worth $8-10 million per season which is certainly something the Broncos could work with on a 2-3 year deal.

Getting one of Sean Payton's former first-round picks into the fold seems like a solid option if Dre'Mont Jones walks in free agency.

5. Zach Allen (free agent, Cardinals)

Speaking of coaching connections, how about Vance Joseph bringing one of his pals over from the Arizona Cardinals? No, not the retired JJ Watt, but free agent defensive lineman Zach Allen.

No other free agent defensive lineman at this point in time had more QB hits than Allen did last season (19). He had 5.5 sacks and 25 QB pressures to go along with that. Let's say the Broncos feel pretty confident they could get Zach Allen if they let Dre'Mont Jones walk. Fair trade?

Obviously it's not an actual trade but a trade-off of players. Zach Allen has been working in Joseph's defense since he was drafted into the NFL back in 2019 out of Boston College. He's only 25 years old and clearly can line up all over the formation to cause problems.

Getting Allen into the mix along with DJ Jones and the rest of the cast the Broncos have on the defensive line? That might not be the worst thing that could happen.

6. Khalen Saunders (free agent, Chiefs)

Off the top of my head, this is probably the first player on the list who doesn't have a connection to the Denver Broncos' current coaching staff under Sean Payton. After only playing 10 games between 2020 and 2021, Khalen Saunders really broke out in a big way for the Chiefs this past year, racking up 48 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 8 QB hits, and 9 QB pressures in the regular season.

He also showed some awesome hustle in the Super Bowl on a "sack" where he forced Jalen Hurts out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.

Saunders' athleticism has always been impressive. It seems like things finally came together for the 26-year-old former third-round pick out of Western Illinois. If the Broncos signed Saunders, they would be upgrading their defensive line and weakening the Chiefs' defensive line. Win-win.

7. Charles Omenihu (free agent, 49ers)

Charles Omenihu is probably one of the most underrated free agents out there right now and quite honestly, he may be unrealistic for the Denver Broncos. We've got to put him on the list because he's an option until the ink dries somewhere else, but this guy was awesome last year in DeMeco Ryans' defense with the 49ers. He racked up 4.5 sacks, 16 QB hits, and 21 QB pressures despite only playing 54 percent of the snaps.

He's 25, will be 26 in August. He has a very intriguing frame a 6-foot-5, 280 pounds with long arms. Basically, Omenihu was a secret weapon for the 49ers last year. So why is he an unrealistic option for the Broncos? Well, it stands to reason that the Houston native might reunite with the Texans where he would also be reuniting with DeMeco Ryans.

That fit seemed to make sense for both sides, so Omenihu might end up back there, but the Broncos could also try to put DJ Jones and K'Waun Williams on the recruiting trail.