The Philadelphia Eagles are among several teams interested in signing free agent edge rusher Chandler Jones, according to a report from Jordan Schultz.
Schultz claims he was told Jones will command at least $15 million – $18 million annually and “he wants to play for a contender.” Other teams said to be interested in Jones include — but are not necessarily limited to — the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, and Seattle Seahawks.
The source in a report like this is typically the player’s agent. Their side has much to gain from the perception that there’s a strong market for the player’s services. This isn’t to suggest that the Eagles aren’t interested in Jones but it’s fair to wonder about the extent of that interest and if they’re being used to help Jones’ leverage.
There is some sense to the Eagles being interested in Jones.
For starters, he’s a really, really good player! As a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and a four-time Pro Bowler, Jones is one of the very best free agents set to hit the open market. This is a dude with 84 sacks, 91 tackles for loss, 149 quarterback hits, and 27 forced fumbles in his last 99 games played. Elite production.
The Eagles have an obvious need at edge rusher. They finished just 29th in sacks last season and most expect them to let starting defensive end Derek Barnett walk in free agency. Signing Jones would give the Eagles a top trio of him, Brandon Graham, and Josh Sweat. Philly could also look to add another edge rusher with one of their multiple first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The guess here is that the Eagles don’t land Jones, however. It’s possible they outbid the competition since they really value edge rushers. But I don’t know that they’re looking to spend top of the market money to a 32-year-old. I also don’t know that Jones would find Philly as attractive as other landing spots that boast better starting quarterbacks, such as Buffalo and Denver.
Still, fun to see the Eagles connected to a player as good as Jones. And their interest in him might signal they’re looking at other free agent pass rushers (such as Haason Reddick, perhaps? Maybe a Charles Harris?). We’ll continue to monitor this situation.
