KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, General Manager Brett Veach made it clear Tuesday that the Chiefs hope to keep free-agent defensive tackle Chris Jones in Kansas City.
“I would say that it would be a priority for us to make that happen,” Veach said. “What transpires in the next few weeks and months is to be determined, but certainly, our goal and our intent is to keep him in Kansas City.”
Jones, a second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2016 and the No. 2 overall free agent, according to NFL.com, has led the team in sacks each of the last two seasons, racking up 15 1/2 in 2018 and another nine last season despite missing three weeks with a groin injury.
Kansas City faces a challenge in re-signing Jones, because they’ve already committed a massive contract to defensive end Frank Clark, who was acquired last offseason in a trade with Seattle.
“When you have guys as talented as Chris and these other players, you’re going to turn over every scenario and see exactly what can be done,” Veach, who plans to meets with Jones’ representatives again this week in Indy, said. “It’s challenging, but it’s not impossible.”
The ongoing negotiations as the NFL and the NFL Players’ Association work on a new collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, adds another layer of complications.
It’s unclear how it might affect the salary cap moving forward, but players certainly want to maximize their slice of a pie that’s expected to grow.
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Veach said the Chiefs haven’t ruled out slapping Jones with the franchise tag, giving Kansas City the exclusive right to negotiate with the Pro Bowler from Mississippi State.
“Sometimes, these things take some time to work through,” Veach said. “The franchise tag is something that we have the ability to use, but we’d certainly like to work something out with him.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he’s spoken with Jones this offseason, but not about business.
“Brett does a great job with that. I don’t interfere with him or his guys on that,” Reid said. “I stay back. I have talked to Chris, but we don’t get into any of that and I don’t talk about the contract.”
Obviously, he’d welcome Jones back.
“I understand the business and how it goes,” Reid said. “You’d like to keep everybody together. ... If he’s here, he’s a good football player. Why wouldn’t you want him here?”
Veach, who praised Jones for the way he approached 2019 after negotiations during the offseason and training camp failed to net an extension last year, relayed a similar sentiment.
“I think the tandem of Chris Jones and Frank Clark is something that any team would want, and we’re going to work hard to see if we can get that done,” Veach said.
