The Arizona Cardinals shipped out their second-round pick and disappointing 2013 first-rounder Jonathan Cooper earlier this offseason in exchange for New England Patriots outside linebacker Chandler Jones. It's a bold move for both teams, but a necessary one for Arizona. Dwight Freeney, 36, was Arizona's leading pass-rusher last year with 8.0 sacks and he didn't even suit up for the Cardinals until Week 6. As a team, Arizona finished the year tied for 20th in the league in sacks with just 36.0. SATs generate more pressure than that.
So Arizona's trade for Jones is a good one because it addresses a dire need, but the move is not without its risks. Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which means he's eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason. Off hand, anyone know the going rate for 26-year-old pass-rushers in their prime? It's expensive enough to convince even Donald Trump to seek out donors.
How much is it going to cost Arizona to lock Jones into a long-term deal? Let's examine the numbers.
Typically, pass-rushing defensive ends get paid more than their outside linebacker counterparts (where Jones will likely be heading in Arizona's 3-4 defense), but the big deals given to Malik Jackson and (4-3 DE) Olivier Vernon in free agency this year can still be used as reference points. The Jacksonville Jaguars handed Jackson a five-year deal worth $85 million ($42 million guaranteed) while the New York Giants also gave Vernon a five-year deal worth $85 million ($54.5 million guaranteed). Neither has the raw numbers of Jones, who is coming off a 12.5 sack season and has two double digit sack years under his belt already.
But if we're focusing squarely on comparable outside linebacker deals (which may be relegated irrelevant with continued increases in the salary cap), there's no reason why Jones shouldn't get more than Ryan Kerrigan (five years, $57.5 million, $23.78 million guaranteed) who is currently the fourth-highest paid 3-4 OLB in the NFL. Jones is the more athletic of the two and offers higher upside than the remarkably consistent yet unspectacular Kerrigan.
If the new Cardinals linebacker produces another strong season this year, he'll be reaching free agency as a 27-year-old firmly in his prime. If Arizona wants to keep him, his deal will likely have to average around $15 million per year with upwards of $40 million in guaranteed money.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
