Chris Jones might be aware that the Indianapolis Colts are poised to have an extremely active offseason in 2020. Following a disappointing end to the 2019 season, the Colts understand that there are areas of the roster that need to be addressed in the coming months.
In nearly a month, NFL free agency will be underway and teams will be outbidding one another for talented players. Fortunately for the Colts, they currently have $86.1 million in cap space available, according to Spotrac.
Of course, some of that cap space will go toward the incoming rookie that Indianapolis selects in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, most of that money is likely going to be spent on proven players to fill some of the needs on the roster.
Among the Colts' needs, defensive tackle is definitely near the top of the priority list. With that in mind, here is why the Colts are a perfect landing spot for Chris Jones in free agency.
Indianapolis plays a similar defensive system as the Kansas City Chiefs
When Frank Reich became the Colts head coach in 2018, Matt Eberflus became his defensive coordinator. Eberflus runs a 4-3 defensive scheme that is similar to the one that Jones played with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.
In his first three seasons in the NFL, Jones played in Bob Sutton's defense that had a ton of 3-4 tendencies. As a result, Jones was asked to spend most of his time as a defensive end.
Then, with Steve Spagnuolo replacing Sutton in 2019, the Chiefs switched to more of a 4-3 defense. While the team transitioned to a 4-3 defense, Jones was best-suited as an interior lineman.
Despite being in a 3-4 defense to begin his career, Jones thrived in a 4-3 scheme in 2019. The Mississippi State product had one of the best years of his career as he notched nine sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 20 quarterback hits. In the event that the Colts signed Jones, he wouldn't need to adjust much to get acclimated to their defense.
Jones is familiar with Chris Ballard
Just three years ago, the Colts made the executive decision to hire Chris Ballard as their new general manager. Prior to taking the prestigious position in Indianapolis, Ballard was with the Chiefs from 2013-2016.
Furthermore, Ballard was the director of football operations in 2016 — the year that Kansas City selected Jones in the 2016 NFL Draft. Given that, Jones understands the atmosphere that he will be a part of if he chooses to sign with Indianapolis.
Besides Ballard, Jones would be reuniting with Justin Houston — who signed with the Colts last offseason. Jones and Houston played together with the Chiefs from 2016-2018; with both of them combining for 46.5 sacks in that span.
When an NFL player is making a decision in free agency, some tend to consider a team that provides them with some comfort. The Colts can extend a lucrative offer to Jones and give him a seamless transition to a new team. There's no denying that Jones is a perfect fit for the Colts on a defense that could be an elite group in 2020.
Follow Us
Subscribe