Buffalo Bills linebacker Deion Jones was released on Sunday, according to a post from broadcaster Chris Brown on X. Jones' release isn't necessarily surprising, but it's still noteworthy given his veteran status and previous success in the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and has tallied 731 tackles, 13 interceptions, 12 sacks, and five forced fumbles through 109 career games. In 13 games with the Carolina Panthers last year, Jones registered 35 tackles, one sack, and one interception. His experience as a key defender in the NFL should be enough to generate some buzz around his name on the open market. However, he may wait to sign a new deal until the dust settles after rosters trim down on Tuesday.
Bills Add To Defense With Deion Jones, Dawuane Smoot
The Buffalo Bills signed linebacker Deion Jones and defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot on Friday, according to NFL.com. The team moved on from several veterans on both sides of the ball this offseason, so Jones and Smoot could compete for playing time in 2024. Jones, a former second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, earned Pro Bowl honors in 2017, but he hasn't lived up to his breakout campaign. In 109 games with the Falcons, Browns, and Panthers, he has racked up 731 tackles, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 13 interceptions. Smoot, a former Jaguars third-round pick, spent the first seven seasons of his career with Jacksonville and compiled 23.5 sacks through his first 99 games.
The Carolina Panthers released linebacker Deion Jones on Tuesday, according to a league source. Jones wasn't able to do enough this summer in training camp and the preseason after latching on with Carolina on a one-year deal in late July. He should be able to find work elsewhere for the 2023 regular season, but the 28-year-old just has fallen off since he was a Pro Bowler in his second NFL campaign with the Atlanta Falcons back in 2017. The former second-rounder in 2016 by the Falcons out of LSU has recorded 100-plus total tackles in five of his seven seasons. In 11 games (five starts) for the Cleveland Browns last year, Jones had 44 tackles (25 solo), 2.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.
Former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers on Monday, according to a source. Jones worked out with the team at training camp earlier on Monday and will return to the NFC South after spending the 2022 season with the Cleveland Browns. The 28-year-old made his only Pro Bowl in his second year in the league in 2017 with the Falcons and was once considered a premier linebacker after posting 100-plus total tackles in five of his first six seasons. Last year, he was only able to play in 11 games (five starts) for Cleveland due to a shoulder injury and finished with 44 tackles (25 solo), 2.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Jones is off the IDP radar after a decreased role last year, but he could carve out more playing time in Carolina in 2023.
The Carolina Panthers are set to work out free-agent linebacker Deion Jones after training camp practice on Monday, according to a source. Jones could be a potential depth addition for Carolina's defense after he played for the Cleveland Browns in 2022 after becoming a Pro Bowler with the Atlanta Falcons. The 28-year-old also met with the New York Giants back in April. He opened last year on Injured Reserve with the Falcons and was then dealt to the Browns, finishing the year with 44 tackles (25 solo), 2.5 sacks an interception and a forced fumble in 11 games (five starts). Jones was a Pro Bowler in 2017 and has five seasons of 100-plus combined tackles, but he's unlikely to become an option in IDP formats in a depth role if he signs with the Panthers.
The Cleveland Browns activated linebacker Deion Jones (shoulder) from Injured Reserve on Saturday, and the former Atlanta Falcons standout will make his debut with the Browns in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens. Cleveland acquired Jones from the Falcons on Oct. 9, and the Browns are hoping the 27-year-old former second-rounder can help shore up what has been a very leaky defense to this point in the season. Middle linebacker Anthony Walker (quadriceps) is currently injured, so Jones could have a pretty significant role in the middle of the Browns defense right away, although Jacob Phillips has mostly filled in for Walker. Jones has 100-plus tackles in all but one of his six NFL seasons, but fantasy managers in IDP leagues shouldn't expect him to play an every-down role, at least not right away.
The Atlanta Falcons have traded former Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones (shoulder) to the Cleveland Browns for late-round draft capital. Jones is yet to take the field in the 2022 regular season as he is nursing a shoulder injury that landed him on Injured Reserve before Week 1. He finished with 137 total tackles and two sacks in 16 games with the Falcons in 2021. Jones re-worked his deal in September but was under one of the richest linebacker contracts in the league. Although it remains to be seen how effective the 30-year-old can be coming back from his injury, the trade gives Cleveland an experienced veteran at a position of need.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones (shoulder) got back on the practice field Wednesday for the first time during training camp after he was placed on the PUP list in July. Jones previously underwent shoulder surgery in May, with his return giving the Falcons defense another experienced tackler. Jones finished tied for 11th in the league last season with 137 tackles, eight of which came for a loss. The 27-year-old added two sacks and a forced fumble to his stat line, having started 16 games for Atlanta for the third consecutive season. The Falcons' defense is likely on the outside looking in of fantasy viability in the vast majority of redraft leagues. The team is set to open the year on Sept. 11 against New Orleans, although it remains to be seen if Jones will be cleared to take the field in time for the contest.
The Atlanta Falcons placed inside linebacker Deion Jones (shoulder) on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Thursday due to a shoulder injury. Jones had offseason surgery in May, so it's not a surprise that he's not ready to practice for the start of camp. The 27-year-old has recorded 100-plus combined tackles in five of his six NFL seasons with the Falcons, but he could be traded or released before the start of the 2022 season. A Pro Bowler in his second season in 2017, Jones finished last year with 137 tackles (87 solo), two sacks, eight tackles for loss, four QB hits and six passes defensed in 16 games played. It remains to be seen how effective he'll be to begin the season after missing nearly all of the team's offseason work.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones (shoulder) will miss the entire offseason program because he's rehabbing after having cleanup surgery on his shoulder this offseason, according to head coach Arthur Smith. The Falcons were already expected to designated Jones as a post-June 1 cut, although they'd prefer to trade him to clear over $14.7 million of his $20 million-plus salary cap hit in 2022. The 27-year-old signed a four-year contract extension in 2019 and started 16 games for Atlanta last year, compiling 137 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Jones is fully expected to be playing for a different team in 2022, but his shoulder injury could make it even more difficult to trade him.
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