Deion Jones, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, will reportedly be traded by the Atlanta Falcons to the Cleveland Browns. According to NFL Ian Rapoport, the AFC-North team will trade Jones for a 2024 seventh-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft from Atlanta.
For the Falcons, Jones made the Pro Bowl in 2017, but the 27-year-old hasn’t yet played this year after being put on injured reserve prior to the start of the campaign due to offseason shoulder surgery.
Ian Rapoport’s report stated, “Sources: The #Browns are adding some key help in the middle of their defence, trading for #Falcons Pro Bowl LB Deion Jones in exchange for late-round draft compensation.”
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According to NFL Media, the Falcons will incur a $12.14 million dead-cap charge in 2023 as a result of the move because Jones still has two seasons left on his four-year, $57 million extension. The Browns intend to trade him for approximately $1.39M for the remaining season, plus up to $320K in game-play incentives. By cutting ties with Jones, who has missed the first five games while on the injured reserve list, Atlanta still manages to save about $22M from 2022 to 2024.
Jones missed the majority of training camp after having shoulder surgery in May. As a result, he was given a limited role at the conclusion of the preseason. The Falcons have been attempting to move him ever since.
According to The Athletic, concerns about his attitude and work ethic were also given as justification for the transfer.
Jones has been a successful starter, recording 100 tackles in each of his five seasons with at least 15 games played. In the 2016–17 season, when he was a contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year and had a total of 14 tackles for loss, six interceptions, and two touchdowns, he had his greatest run.
