Grade for the Buffalo Bills signing of free agent DaQuan Jones
The defensive tackle was a point of focus for the Buffalo Bills in the first week of free agency as they signed three free agents at the position. While Tim Settle was a player who is a bit of an unknown due to the lack of playing time in Washington, Buffalo should have a good understanding of what they are getting with DaQuan Jones.
This is my grade for the free agent signing of DaQuan Jones when looking at the player and the contract.
What DaQuan Jones brings to the Buffalo Bills?
DaQuan Jones started his career with the Tennessee Titans after they drafted him in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. After a relatively quiet rookie season, Jones became a fixture of the Titans defense as a run-stuffing defensive tackle, similar to what Star Lotulelei brought to the Bills during his time in Buffalo.
He would play seven seasons in Tennessee before joining the Carolina Panthers as a free agent last offseason. In his career, Jones has 273 total tackles and 10 sacks but the most notable stat is how durable he is as he has missed only four regular season games since becoming a starter in 2015 with all those missed games in 2017.
Contract
The two sides agreed to a two-year deal worth $14 million with cap hits of $3.583 million in 2022, and $8.583 million in 2023 with a voidable year in 2024. The cap hit ranks 37th this year among defensive tackles but with the total more than doubling next year, he will move further up those rankings.
Grade for the Buffalo Bills signing Tim Settle. light. Must Read
Final Grade: B
The Buffalo Bills addressed a major need by signing DaQuan Jones and he should help improve a run defense that struggled at times last year. However, the Buffalo Bills didn’t leave themselves much flexibility past this season in terms of the contract with a sizable increase next year and the void year in 2024.