Raiders: Top-3 bargain signings from 2022 free agency

Top-3 Raiders bargain signings of 2022 for Las Vegas

Chandler Jones: 3y, $51M

Chandler Jones, the arguable best edge rusher in the game (T.J. Watt aside), is getting paid $17M per year. That is tied with three players for the ninth-highest spot, meaning there are 11 edge rushers leaguewide who make as much, or more than Jones annually.

That, my friends, is a bargain.

Jones only appeared in 5 contests during the ’20 season, so we won’t count that year in this stat: In each of his last six-seasons, Jones has hit the double-digit mark for sacks. This includes a league-high 17 in 2017, and an even higher 19 as the runner-up Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.

The former Cardinal has also been one of the leagues best turnover machines, forcing 33 fumbles throughout his career. In 2019, Jones led the league with 8 forced fumbles, and this most recent year, during the ’21 season, the new Raiders’ edge rusher logged 6.

Consistent AJ Cole, Punt Return game key to Raiders success

The Las Vegas Raiders have one of the best punters in the NFL, and in 2022, they need AJ Cole to continue to move in the right direction.

Through it all, Jones has earned four trips to the Pro Bowl, with 2 first-team All-Pro honors. Since 2017, the 32-year-old has also been a top-3 finalist twice for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Now, Jones joins Maxx Crosby on the line, as the duo looks to prove themselves as the best edge rushing pair leaguewide.