J.J. Watt Sends Tweet in Reaction to Broncos Signing DL Zach Allen

J.J. Watt had a lot to say about the Denver Broncos signing Zach Allen.

Denver Broncos GM George Paton was always going to play both ends of the bargain when it came to free-agent defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones. When push came to shove, Jones announced he was off to sign with Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks on a lucrative three-year, $51 million deal. 

Exactly when the Broncos decided to pivot to replace Jones is unclear, but it was likely prior to the 'legal tampering' window swinging open on Monday and sometime around the NFL's franchise-tag deadline.

As Jones exits the Mile High City, 25-year-old former Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Zach Allen arrives after landing a three-year deal worth $45.75 million from the Broncos.

After the news broke, Allen's old teammate in Arizona and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt tweeted out his congratulations, which also included background details of what Broncos Country can expect from Allen.

"Love this for my guy!! Works his a** off, studies his a** off, cares immensely. Can’t wait to see what this next chapter holds. Well deserved," Watt tweeted.

Love this for my guy!!

Works his ass off, studies his ass off, cares immensely.

Can’t wait to see what this next chapter holds.

Well deserved.

😤 https://t.co/IV8STpM9Kd

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 14, 2023

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For whatever reason, the Broncos were reticent to pay Jones at that level but not Allen. Whether or not Paton read the situation correctly remains to be seen, but the GM's comfort in giving Allen $32.5 million in guaranteed money does much to suggest the Broncos were ready to move on from Jones.

Of course, Paton may have been deploying a classic front-office smoke-and-mirror negotiation tactic because he had gone on record only recently to suggest that it was a priority to re-sign Jones. For the most part, the 26-year-old Jones had wavered between sending fan-friendly Twitter posts to giving off the distinct air that he would happily pack his bags and leave town.

In truth, it could all have boiled down to the fact that bringing in Allen to replace Jones had as much to do with his level of commitment as it did navigating the tricky finances.

Sean Payton will undoubtedly come as advertised, so that means detail-driven players who are 100% committed to his project will be prioritized. Signing Allen, alongside bringing back starting linebacker Alex Singleton, provides Broncos Country with some early examples of how the team's new lofty standards are being put firmly into place.

In the final analysis, Allen's proven ability to defend both the run and get after the quarterback ensures the Broncos should lose little at the position over the long run.

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