Obviously this is going to be a key discussion this offseason. On The Athletic's podcast (Time's Ours), Nate Taylor said that he's heard that there are multiple teams out there who would give us a 1st round pick for Jones (assuming we tag and trade him), and possibly more than that.
So just to lay out a simplified version of the options:
Option 1:
Chris Jones (probably around $20m per year)
Option 2:
1st round draft pick (cheap for 4-5 years)
$20m worth of other players
For context on how much other players might cost based on recent free agents we've signed:
Clark - $21m
Mathieu - $14m
Hitchens - $9m
Schwartz - $8m
Okafor - $6m
As much as I love Jones, I just can't see how the Chiefs could turn down an offer for him like that. Putting 1/5th of the team's salary into the DL alone seems like it'd force other position groups to be far too weak. So while they theoretically COULD keep Jones, it seems like a better use of funds to let him go, draft a 1st round LBer or similar, and then pay a couple of key contributors in the secondary. [Reply]
I know what I’m getting with Jones if retained. Arguably the best interior D-lineman in the league who consistently makes plays. A fan favourite who loves the city and has his best football in front of him.
I get the allure of a high pick and cap space, but the cap can be manipulated, and not many teams can brag having two elite d-lineman in Jones and Clark that affect the game so much. I prefer the Chiefs retain Jones on a long-term deal. Some cap relief lies ahead in 2021, where Mahomes and Jones’ extensions factor in. By 2021 Veach will have a full complement of picks + arguably some compensatory picks to reload the roster. [Reply]
But i'd expect not to hear you guys who want to trade him and such to not bitch when said rookie DL they draft isn't as good and gets washed out while he learns the position. [Reply]