The defensive end position was a focus for general manager Brandon Beane this offseason. He has tried to figure out the right answer to improve the Buffalo Bills pass rush and explored a number of options.
It started early in the offseason with the Bills pursuing J.J. Watt shortly after he was released by the Houston Texans. The Bills were a top contender for the former Defensive Player of the Year but he ultimately decided to join the Arizona Cardinals.
The Bills pivoted to the NFL Draft to address the position with the selections of Greg Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr. but it raises the question of how much they might be able to contribute as rookies. This may not be the ideal situation for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations and need an impact player this season.
Is Chandler Jones the impact player for the Buffalo Bills?
That impact player may have become available over the weekend with reports that Chandler Jones had requested a trade. On Monday, Peter King mentioned in his weekly column the idea that the Buffalo Bills should offer their first round pick in 2022 for the Cardinals All-Pro pass rusher.
"Buffalo has a crying need for a pass-rusher, which is why the Bills reached for the green Gregory Rousseau from Miami in the first round last April. Let me stick my nose in Buffalo GM’s Brandon Beane’s business: If I were Beane, and if Jones is healthy after missing the last three months last year with a torn biceps, I’d offer Arizona GM Steve Keim my 2022 first-round pick (likely to be between 27 and 32) to get one of the game’s most disruptive players, at 31."
On the surface, this type of trade makes sense and addresses a need for the Bills. Jones is 31 years old and is coming off a torn bicep injury that cost him 11 games last season. However, prior to the 2020 season Jones had double digit sacks in five straight games, including a career high 19 sacks in 2019.
The Bills would also need to make some additional moves to free up the cap space to fit Jones’ current cap hit of $20.8 million under the salary cap. However, that is the secondary part of this deal that would need to be worked out and could satisfy Chandler Jones’ demands and help the Buffalo Bills.
One of the reasons he is requesting a trade is that he is unhappy with his contract. He has one year left on his current deal so an extension could move some of the dollars around that would allow the team to add Chandler Jones without additional roster moves and ensure he stays in Buffalo for a few more seasons.
This deal could also help the Bills long-term as Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison are in their final seasons. If the Bills don’t bring back Jerry Hughes, having a veteran like Chandler Jones could be great for these younger pass rushers like A.J. Epenesa, Greg Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr.
There would be a number of moving parts to get a deal done but it would make sense for Brandon Beane to at least pick up the phone to discuss what it might take to acquire Chandler Jones in a trade.