3 players who could fix the Cleveland Browns linebacker unit

Trade for LB Deion Jones

The final player who will instantly fix the Browns problem at linebacker is also my personal favorite option. In this scenario, the Browns would trade their 1st round pick (26th overall) to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Deion Jones.

1st round picks are one of the most valuable things and should not be thrown around lightly (yes, I am looking at you LA Rams). But Deion Jones is the kind of linebacker that would be worth sending a first-round pick for.

Last offseason, the Indianapolis Colts had a major need in their defense. To fix their problem, they sent their first-round pick to San Francisco in exchange for DeForest Buckner. Buckner instantly improved their weak defense and continued his elite pass-rushing while on the Colts. The Browns should look to do the same this offseason.

Trading for Deion Jones instead of drafting a linebacker also has its benefits. Jones has already proven that he can play at an NFL level. When you draft someone there is the inherent risk that they could turn out to be a bust. That is much less likely if the Browns were to acquire Jones in a trade because he has already shown what he can do at the highest level.

Jones is one of the best in the business when it comes to coverage linebackers. Also, even though Jones excels in the passing game, he is also very good against the run. He will never be a liability no matter the game plan of the offense.

Now, you may be asking yourself “if Deion Jones is so good, why would the Falcons trade him?” To which my answer would be Mykal Walker. The Falcons used their 4th round pick on Walker in the most recent draft. Walker had a fantastic rookie season and has become a big part of the Falcons’ future plans. Walker and Jones excel in the same aspects of the game, but there is one key difference.

Walker is set to make $787,000 next season, while Jones is set to make $8.2 million. Jones is also three years older than Walker. As good as Deion Jones is, he does not fit into the rebuild as well as Mykal Walker. It would make sense for the Falcons to move on from Jones to make more room for Walker to continue to flourish.

Deion Jones would instantly become the best linebacker on the Browns before he even stepped foot in Cleveland. What’s great about Jones is that he would also free up guys like B.J. Goodson and Sione Takitaki to focus more on what they are good at rather than trying to attempt to drop back in coverage.

If the Browns are serious about being a contender for years to come, the linebacking unit needs to be addressed and there is no better guy that the Browns could bring in than Deion Jones.