The Cleveland Browns have acquired linebacker Deion Jones in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons have traded Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a swap of 2024 late-round draft picks. The Falcons will send their seventh-round pick, while the Browns will send their sixth-round choice.
As part of the trade, the Falcons will carry a dead-cap hit of $12.14 million in 2024, per NFL Media, since Jones still has two seasons remaining on the four-year, $57M extension he signed in 2019. The Browns, meanwhile, will only owe the 27-year-old linebacker roughly $1.39M for the remainder of the year, plus up to $320K in incentives for games played. Atlanta still saves roughly $22M from 2022-24 by parting ways with Jones, who’s missed the first five games while on injured reserve.
Jones, who made the Pro Bowl in 2017, should help strengthen Cleveland’s vulnerable linebacking corps, which has struggled since losing Anthony Walker to a season-ending quad tear in Week 2.
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Deion Jones in the NFL so far:
Jones had spent his entire seven-year career with the Falcons, which selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft out of LSU. One of his best seasons with the franchise came in 2017 when he posted three interceptions, 10 pass breakups, one sack, 138 tackles and 10 tackles for a loss en route to a Pro Bowl selection.
In 85 career games with the Falcons, he posted 11 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 8.5 sacks, 652 tackles, 40 tackles for a loss and 20 quarterback hits.
Jones will become an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and is under contract next season for just under $12 million.
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