Former LSU Tiger Deion Jones Traded From Falcons to Browns
A former LSU Tiger is on the move. The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to trade linebacker Deion Jones to the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland is reportedly sending a 2024 NFL Draft sixth-round selection to Atlanta for Jones and a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Jones, who made the Pro Bowl in 2017, should help bolster Cleveland's linebacker corps, which has struggled since losing Anthony Walker to a season-ending injury in Week 2.
The Browns have given up more than 200 yards rushing the past two weeks, including 238 yesterday in a 30-28 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jones has actually been on injured reserve all year after having a shoulder procedure done in the offseason and has yet to see the field this season.
The writing has been on the wall for a while now for the 2016 second-round pick. The Falcons signed Rashaan Evans from the Tennessee Titans to a one-year deal this offseason, had Mykal Walker take over at the other inside linebacker position and drafted Troy Andersen in the 2nd round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
For his career in Atlanta, Jones started 83 of 85 games with 652 tackles, 11 interceptions -- five returned for touchdowns -- 44 passes defended and 8.5 sacks.
Jones had his contract restructured earlier this season by converting $8.5 million of his base salary to a signing bonus, lowering that base salary to $1.14 million.
That makes the trade easy for the Browns but makes for a big salary cap hit for the Falcons. Atlanta will carry a $12.14 million dead cap hit in 2023 from Jones.
The Falcons will have around $77 million in dead money once this trade goes through. That will be a new NFL record for total dead money in one year.