As the Arizona Cardinals gear up for a season in which they hope to take the next step and make the playoffs, NFL veteran edge rusher Chandler Jones indicated that he may not be along for the ride.
Jones is on the final year of his contract, and requested a trade from the Cardinals earlier this week.
He probably did not expect to have to play out the last year of his deal without an extension, but Arizona has not yet shown a willingness to tack on additional years to the 31-year-old’s current contract.
Both the organization and Jones are in an interesting spot.
Entering his 10th year in the NFL, Jones has provided nothing short of premium pass rushing ability.
The only issue is, he only appeared in five games last season due to a torn biceps injury suffered in Week 5.
Jones has reported to training camp, but his demand will likely force Arizona to gauge his trade value even if they value him as an important cog to their 2020 success.
Here are three teams that should schedule a Zoom call with the Cardinals in order to acquire Jones.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets have the most available cap space of any team in the NFL, and it isn’t particularly close.
If the organization deems that Jones has a clean bill of health moving forward, he could be just the special type of talent new head coach Robert Saleh can use to build a culture with.
Saleh has been used to coaching elite sack artists with the San Francisco 49ers, and having a player who offenses might need to immediately consider doubling would be a huge advantage.
The Jets are not exactly knocking on the doorstep of contention, but the new regime needs to get off to a good start and give the fanbase something to hang their hat on.
That sack of Jimmy Garoppolo gives Chandler Jones 97.0 since joining the NFL in 2012.
That’s the most of any NFL player in that span. pic.twitter.com/SF0wENr8S2
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) September 13, 2020
2. Carolina Panthers
Unfortunately, the Carolina Panthers play in arguably the most difficult division in the NFL.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints boast some of the best roster talent in the league, and the Atlanta Falcons still figure to have an explosive offense this year.
The Panthers appear to be moving in the right direction under second-year head coach Matt Rhule, but face an uphill battle with regards to relevancy in the near future.
That difficult path to contention can be made a little easier if the team acquired someone of Jones’ defensive caliber.
Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, and Jameis Winston (if he’s named the starter in New Orleans) are not anyone’s idea of mobile quarterbacks.
If Carolina can unleash Jones on a few of the NFL’s most stationary targets for six games, it could help them make a nice leap in the win column this year.
240 feels great pic.twitter.com/Pi9WpzSAqR
— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 19, 2020
1. Los Angeles Chargers
It’s a little bit surprising to see that the Los Angeles Charges finished in the bottom third of the league last year in total sacks.
Any team featuring difference making talent such as Joey Bosa would automatically generate respectable push up front, in theory.
But the three-time Pro Bowler did not have much help at all, leaving opposing quarterbacks with all day to throw.
Bringing Jones into the fold, and having him line up next to, or on the opposite side of Bosa, will make life a living nightmare for quarterbacks.
Unseating the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West is going to be a tall order, but the Chargers should look to make a push now while Justin Herbert is still affordable on his rookie deal.
NEXT: Jets Fans Should Be Concerned About A Zach Wilson Holdout