The Kansas City Chiefs are reaching an impasse when it comes to superstar defensive lineman Chris Jones.
Their options? Pay him the approximate $30 million per year that he’s projected to make, franchise tag and trade him, or allow him to walk in NFL free agency. If either of the latter two scenarios occur, Kansas City will have to replace Jones as well.
Defensive tackle is an area of need with the game-wrecker on the roster. It becomes a gaping hole in Steve Spagnuolo’s unit without him.
On December 21, Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine suggested a “shocking” trade proposal with the Washington Commanders aimed at replacing Jones in 2024 — should he leave KC via trade or signing. Below were the details:
Chiefs get DT Jonathan Allen.
Commanders get 2024 second-round pick & 2025 third-round pick.
Keep in mind, this deal would likely occur after a tag and trade of Jones, giving the Chiefs much more draft capital to work with.
Would Commanders’ Jonathan Allen Adequately Replace Chiefs’ Chris Jones via Trade?
One could argue that there’s no replacing Jones, in truth. Like Tyreek Hill, the fearsome disruptor is one of one around the league, and Allen is unlikely to replicate his overall impact.
Having said that, Allen is a quietly strong interior defensive lineman in his own right. The 28-year-old former first rounder out of Alabama had a career year in 2021.
That season, he accumulated 67 quarterback pressures, 9.0 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss and 32 key defensive stops according to Pro Football Focus. The following year in 2022, he was even better as a run defender with 16 tackles for a loss and 43 key defensive stops.
The Commanders extended Allen on a four-year deal worth $18 million per year in 2021. He is currently under contract through the 2025 campaign, with cap hits of $21.5 and $23 million over the next two seasons.
Obviously, Jones has a higher ceiling as a pass rusher with 15.5 sacks in 2018 and 2022, as well as 70-plus QB pressures four different times including a career-high 97 pressures in 2022. The tackle for loss and key defensive stop numbers are similar, however, and Allen is both more affordable and slightly younger.
NFL Writer Explains Jonathan Allen Trade Proposal for Chiefs & Commanders
Ballentine also broke down his trade proposal in the Bleacher Report article from the perspective of each franchise.
“The Chiefs are facing a Chris Jones conundrum this offseason,” he began. “After negotiating with their star defensive tackle this fall and only coming up with a short-term fix to end his holdout, they might have to get creative this spring.”
“Letting Jones walk and trading for a player they won’t have to negotiate with would certainly qualify,” the B/R analyst continued. “[ESPN’s Jeremy] Fowler notes that Allen has been pretty vocal about his displeasure with the Commanders’ struggles this season. He’s not going to be excited to be part of another rebuild, and that could spark the Commanders to think about a trade for him.”
Ballentine also cited recent trades of Chase Young and Montez Sweat, as well as Washington committing big money to fellow D-tackle Daron Payne.
“Allen isn’t quite the same player as Jones, but he’s about as close as the Chiefs are going to get,” he concluded, relaying that “Allen is 16th among all defensive tackles in pass rush win rate while drawing double teams on 65 percent of his snaps [and] Jones is ninth in pass-rush win rate while drawing one of the top double-team rates at 72 percent.”
As for the player, going from the Commanders to the win-now Chiefs would likely be a dream come true for Allen. He’d have higher expectations, no doubt, but he’d also switch from a losing franchise to a perennial winner.
