Broncos DL Dre’Mont Jones Discusses Impending Free Agency

Dre’Mont Jones‘ impending free agency couldn’t have come at a better time. The Broncos defensive lineman is having a career year and has likely improved his free agency stock heading into the second half of the season. Denver would like to re-sign its former third-round pick, but Jones didn’t sound overly enthused about re-signing when asked about his future.

“I am here right now,” Jones said plainly (via Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post). “…I view my standing with the franchise as, this is Dre going into Year 4, that’s all I can say.”

As Kiszla points out, Jones’ blunt remarks seem to indicate that come free agency, the player will clearly value money over “an empty promise of winning the Super Bowl.” It was assumed that a new deal could be coming for the defensive lineman after the Broncos traded Bradley Chubb to Miami, avoiding the star’s impending free agency and/or extension (Chubb ultimately inked a sizable new deal with the Dolphins). A deal for Jones could still materialize, but it sounds like the player will be betting on himself and hoping for a sizable offer from what should be a number of suitors during the offseason.

The Ohio State product has shown plenty of pass-rushing prowess throughout his career, collecting 15.5 sacks through his first three seasons in the NFL despite starting only 16 games. He’s taken on a full-time starting gig in 2022 and is en route to career-highs across the board. In eight starts, the 25-year-old has collected 31 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus hasn’t been particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 76th among 116 qualifying interior defenders, although the site did rank him within the top 20 for pass rushing.