The perfect counter move. This is a quick guess at what Las Vegas Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler did when he gave Chandler Jones free agency last week.
The addition of Jones to the Raiders’ defense was Silver & Black’s response to the Denver Broncos’ solution to their longtime quarterback predicament by trading for Seattle Seahawks signalman Russell Wilson. The draft and player swap between Seattle and Denver on March 8 had a pretty tumultuous effect on the AFC West. The Los Angeles Chargers were the first to react, trading former Chicago Bears raider and pass rusher Khalil Mak on March 10.
Just six days later, the Raiders trapped Jones. Why is acquiring Jones the perfect retaliatory move? I’ll let Josh Dubow first give you an idea:
Chandler Jones has fired Russell Wilson 16.5 times in his career. The only player to have fired one more QB in the last 10 seasons is Cam Jordan with 23 against Matt Ryan.
— Josh DubowAP (@JoshDubowAP) March 16, 2022
Just as Wilson has decided he has left Jones and the ultra-competitive NFC West behind, the quarterback unexpectedly joins the cutthroat AFC West. And now, number 55 – the pass rusher who terrorized him a lot – will be in front of him, lining up and wanting to reacquaint himself or for the 17th (and preferably more for the Raiders) times in the backfield.
“I think I fired Russell Wilson more than anyone else,” Jones said at his opening press conference. “He is a competitor. He is a hell of a player. Even being able to play against him twice a year would be fun. He thought he could get away from me (by) leaving, but I’m back here with him, so it’ll be fun to hunt him a little.”
Keep a close eye on the fun part. Because Jones will no doubt bring his wealth of experience, rush toolbox, 107.5 career sacks and work ethic to the Raiders. Although at 32 years old, Jones may have been on the hook for a long time, last season with the Arizona Cardinals, Jones hit 10.5 sacks, making him a formidable teammate for the current terrorizing pass rusher from Las Vegas. Vegas Max Crosby. As soon as the signing of Jones became known in the news, the 98th number immediately greeted the 55th on social networks.
Jones’ presence in Patrick Graham’s defense will boost Crosby’s effectiveness. This is not to cast aspersions on former Mad Max collaborator Yannick Ngakue, who did everything Vegas could ask him to do after his team-leading 2021 campaign with 10 sacks last season. He and Crosby formed an impressive duo in their own right.
But what Jones brings is stricter discipline – Ngakue had a tendency to walk too wide and overtake the quarterback – and also have Crosby a grey-haired veteran who led by example and followed my lead. That Jones can pass Crosby and vice versa will help everyone grow as the 2022 season continues, and the Raiders hope it will eventually culminate in a postseason appearance and title.
From training habits to converting speed into strength or how to attack offensive linemen, Jones’ impact on Crosby will be huge. One skill that Crosby can learn from Jones is getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands – fumbling for the sack. Jones has 33 career forced fumbles, six last season, and Crosby boasts four in his three NFL seasons.
Jones hoped for a partnership.
“When me and Max talk, we chat in small talk. We corresponded before I knew I’d be here,” Jones told Raiders.com. “When you talk to another pass rusher, you always have the thought in your head: “What if? What if we played together? It would be fun. One day I saw that there was an opportunity, when I entered into a termination contract with the Raiders, I said: “Wow, this is an opportunity.” It had a big impact on my decision.”
Patrick Graham (right) watches a workout while Chandler Jones (above) waits in line in this 2013 file photo. Graham, now the Raiders’ defensive coordinator, was head of the defensive line when Chandler was a freshman in New England. Photo by Jessica Rinaldi for The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Not only was the opportunity to play Crosby appealing to Jones, Graham’s presence as defense boss in Vegas was also integral. Graham was the New England Patriots’ defensive line coach when Chandler was drafted in 2012, marking the start of a long-standing relationship between coach and player.
“When you have someone with the brains of Patrick Graham, the first word that comes to mind is creativity,” Jones said. “This guy is a Yale Ivy League graduate. So when you just talk about it on its own, you are talking about how creative a person can be. Then when you bring it to football, it’s easy for him. It’s X and O for him. He’s so creative and knowing that and being that trusted person is the limit to what’s possible.”
And that’s just the field aspect. Jones’ respect for Graham is based on trust, because the coach is not only involved in football. Graham gets to know his players and talks about outside interests and his band’s family. For Jones, Graham is a real article.
“They won’t say, ‘Hey, how’s your leg?’, they’ll say, ‘Hey, how’s your family? How is your child doing?” And when you have a boyfriend and you tie up the players in that way, it makes them play harder for you,” Jones said. “They do so much more and more to do what you tell them to. Follow your pattern, do what’s right, be disciplined, stay in your in-between, execute.
“You start thinking, ‘Hey, Pat Graham is the guy who takes care of me. Let me do what he tells me to do.”
Crosby sensed this when Graham came on board and called him to allay his concerns about exactly where No. 98 would line up.
It will come in due time.
As well as the chaos that Jones and Crosby have to create this season.