Mile High Report
Denver will need a replacement for DJ Jones. Does a potentially cheap veteran make sense?
Before the 2024 season, I accused the Denver Broncos of having the lowest talent level in their front seven in the entire NFL. Naturally, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto went on to have All-Pro seasons and prove me unfathomably (and happily) wrong. Their excellence made things easier for the rest of the Denver defense, and we saw career years from Malcolm Roach and John Franklin-Myers, while DJ Jones had a bounce back from a poor 2023. However, Jones is a free agent, recently turned 30, and even at his peak was probably not worth the 10 million per year Denver paid for his services. With his expected departure, Denver needs replacement defensive tackle talent to pick up an extra 40-50% of defensive snaps.
Age: 29 | Experience: Eighth | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 310 pounds
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Seattle in 2018, Poona Ford worked his way into being a starter in his second year. After 5 years in Seattle, he had a disastrous year in Buffalo in 2023 and then signed a league minimum deal with the Chargers in 2024. He proceeded to have his best year as a pro, and was a dominant force against the run. Coming off that prove-it deal, he is again a free agent at 29 years old.
Ford is younger, and last year was better than Jones. He showed more endurance as well, playing a significantly higher snap count compared to Jones. He is a little bit shorter, and a bit heavier but overall a very similarly built player to DJ Jones. PFF predicts he will get a contract for approximately 3.5 million, and at that price, the Broncos would be absolute fools not to give an attempt to a player who would be an upgrade compared to Jones this last year.
Last year Jones was 29. This year Ford is 29. He is not going to be a long-term solution for the Broncos, and this years draft is potentially the deepest at defensive tackle of any in memory. He could find a market for his services vastly north of the PFF expectation, perhaps in the 13-15m range, and
I do not think this is a deal that makes sense under almost any circumstances. Ford had a brutal 2023, and at 29 years old, his best years are almost certainly behind him. While there are costs that make this move hypothetically appealing, I would rather see the Broncos get defensive snaps to a younger player. On their defensive line, John Franklin-Myers is 29, Zach Allen is 28 and Malcolm Roach Jordan Jackson and Eyioma Uwazurike are all 27. Some youth is in the Broncos long-term interest.
If the Broncos like the best player available, I think picking a defensive...
