Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Chandler Jones is set to become an unrestricted free agent next month. There is quite a bit of talent at the position that will be up for grabs. According to Pro Football Focus, six of the 25 top ranked free agents are edge rushers. That will likely damp down the demand initially, as the supply is so plentiful. However, Chandler Jones might be the most coveted of them all.
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Despite turning 32 years old Sunday, Jones has showed no signs of slowing down. Jones is coming off yet another stellar season for the Cardinals. He racked up 41 tackles, 26 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. He will become a free agent and will garner a lot of attention because of his effectiveness and leadership.
Here are the three most likely landing spots for Jones this offseason, ranked.
3 Most Likely Destinations for Chandler Jones
During the 2021 season, the Philadelphia Eagles locked up Josh Sweat to a long-term contract. Sweat signed a 3-year, $40 million contract. However, he did not produce like the Eagles had hoped last season. Edge defender Derek Barnett is likely going to be a free agent, leaving a hole to fill.
Philadelphia likely is also going to lose other key pieces on defense, including safeties Rodney McLeod and Anthony Harris, and cornerback Steven Nelson. The 2022 NFL Draft is shaping up to have a lot of depth in the secondary. The Eagles own three top-20 picks, so it's highly likely they look to fill some of those holes.
If they draft the secondary replacements and save money in the process, that would allow them to sign Jones in free agency and earn a player that will make a difference on day one.
Atlanta's pass rush was dreadful this past season. They finished the year with only 18.5 sacks as a team. Jones had more than half of that himself in 2021. The Falcons are a projected $12 million under the salary cap as they enter free agency. There are still numerous decisions to be made by the front office, including what to do with quarterback Matt Ryan.
If “Matty Ice” is under contract and playing with the Falcons next season, he will be an outrageous $48 million cap hit. That would be a big blow to a team with a lot of holes. However, if they can figure out a way to trade him or cut him altogether for a salary dump, Atlanta could find itself with the money to acquire Jones.
The Seattle Seahawks find themselves in a decent place this offseason. They have a little over $50 million to play with under the new heightened salary cap.
All signs point to Russell Wilson remaining with the franchise. Therefore, if things fall their way, they could still be a team to be reckoned with. But in order to do that, they need to get better rushing the opposing passer.
Seattle finished 28th in edge pass rushing grade, according to Pro Football Focus. There has been talk that Seattle was looking into Jadeveon Clowney to fill this need. As good as Clowney is, he simply does not produce at the level of Jones. Clowney is yet to post a double-digit sack season. Whereas, Jones seems to do that on a yearly basis.
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