Clearly, this Baltimore Ravens team is far from the unstoppable unit fans expected to see coming into the season. Multiple players are underperforming, putting the team's playoff hopes on the ropes as the year draws to a close.
Edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones has been one of the few bright spots on the roster. Since arriving via trade from the Tennessee Titans, he's arguably been the best pass rusher on the team.
With Jones about to hit free agency in the offseason, the Ravens have an obvious decision to make. At a potential slight decrease in pay, Baltimore needs to extend the veteran defender.
Ravens facing an obvious Dre'Mont Jones decision
The Ravens made a high-profile move involving an edge rusher at the NFL trade deadline, and it didn't involve Jones. They traded away former first-round pick Odafe Oweh, leaving them thin on the edge. In a much quieter deal, they brought in Jones, only sending a conditional fifth-round pick in return.
Despite the major difference in name recognition, Jones actually has more sacks than Oweh on the season entering Week 18. He's been a consistent threat as a pass rusher, finding himself in the backfield more often than Oweh did early in the year.
Throughout his career, he's always been limited as a run defender, but the pass-rushing juice he brings to this defense can't be denied. He's already hit a career-high in sacks on the season and has graduated from role player to certified starter.
Jones is just on a one-year deal, so he's set to become a free agent in the offseason. If the Ravens act quickly, they can lock him down before anyone else has a chance at him.
Spotrac currently estimates that the edge rusher's market value would be around $7.4 million per year. That would make him the 44th-highest-paid edge rusher in football. If he's able to continue his current production or even approach it, that contract would end up looking like a steal.
Ideally, the Ravens would sign Jones to a two or three-year deal, using him as a secondary pass rusher as players like Mike Green develop. He's not the superstar edge defender that Baltimore fans would like to see in purple and black, but he can be a consistent contributor and a major part of the team's rotation for years to come. At the expected asking price, that deal looks like a no-brainer.