Deion Jones ready to make Browns debut in Week 7

The Cleveland Browns added Deion Jones in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons following Week 5 and he’s set to make his debut against Baltimore

Following a frustrating loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, where they couldn’t stop the run, the Cleveland Browns made an unexpected move as they traded for Deion Jones. The former Atlanta Falcons linebacker was a second-round pick out of LSU in 2016 and made the Pro Bowl in 2017.

Before his fourth season with the Falcons, he signed a four-year, $57 million contract extension that included $34 million guaranteed. He continued to rack up the tackles, and now has 652 in 85 career games to go along with 11 interceptions.

However, his effectiveness seemed to drop off following the release of head coach Dan Quinn, who is now in Dallas as the defensive coordinator. This led to plenty of speculation throughout the offseason that Jones could be traded but that hadn’t happened due to a shoulder injury that’s kept him off the field thus far.

Now healthy, Jones is excited about his chance at a fresh start which will begin this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Jones not only said he’s ready to go but has no problem with his shoulder and the only thing he’s been focused on is learning his new teammates and defensive scheme.

"“It’s just been getting the terminology down, getting out there and playing with it,” Jones said via Anthony Poisal of the Cleveland Browns official website. “The biggest thing for me was getting to know these guys and jelling in the locker room.”"

Deion Jones has plenty to play for this year

The Browns are still in the race for the AFC North title despite a 2-4 start. They face the Ravens this weekend who are tied for first with the Cincinnati Bengals at 3-3. Adding Jones could help them in that pursuit, especially since he has a lot to play for.

With no guaranteed money remaining on his deal, Jones and the Browns came to an agreement to terminate his contract following the 2022 season. That means he’s set to hit the open market and could stand to make a lot of money by proving he’s healthy and can make an impact.

Cleveland is banking on him doing just that, and while it’s unlikely they’ll pay big money for a linebacker, they can still benefit from Jones seeking out that payday.