Getty Images New Cleveland Browns linebacker Deion Jones.
Deion Jones has a new home and the veteran linebacker appears excited about the opportunity with the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns wasted no time making a move for Jones after allowing the Chargers to run all over them in a 30-28 loss on Sunday, dropping the team to 2-3. The Browns sent a 2024 sixth-round selection to Atlanta for Jones and a 2024 seventh-round pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Falcons had been looking to trade Jones for some time and the Browns will welcome the tackling machine with open arms. The former Pro Bowler already has embraced the Dawg Pound mentality, which he displayed on Instagram following the news.
“Dawg,” Jones wrote.
Browns Defense Needed Extra Help After Injuries
Heading into the year, the Browns’ defense was expected to be a strength of the team, with names like Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and John Johnson III lurking. However, the unit has looked disorganized for the majority of the year and has been unable to slow down opposing offenses consistently.
The Chargers rolled up 465 yards of offense on Sunday and rushed for 238 yards. That came one week after Atlanta rushed for over 200 yards without their primary back Cordarrelle Patterson prominently in the mix.
“We have to stop the run, we have to fit the run, tackle and all of those things. We have to get that fixed,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said.
The results on the defensive side of the ball have worsened since starting middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. went down with a season-ending knee injury on September 22. Jacob Phillips has been filling that role but has graded out as one of the worst in the league with a Pro Football Focus grade of 28.8.
Jones is far from a savior but a fresh start in Cleveland might do him good. He was a Pro Bowler in 2017 and has notched over 100 tackles in five of his six seasons. The only season he did not was when he played just six games in 2018. He also has 11 interceptions, five defensive touchdowns and 8.5 sacks to his name.
Jones is coming off a rough year in Atlanta where he graded out below average at
34.6, per Pro Football Focus. Jones had shoulder surgery in the offseason and has been on injured reserve. However, he’s expected to be available soon, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Browns Have Been Unable to Finish Games
The defense has been just one part of the equation in the Browns’ lack of success. Untimely turnovers and missed opportunities as a whole have factored into the issues, most notably in the fourth quarter.
“We have to find a way to finish,” running back Nick Chubb said after Sunday’s loss. “We are always in position to finish and win the game. Just as a team, find a way to pull through and win the game. We are in a great position the last couple of games to win the game and we did not do it.”
Browns veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney did not mince words when it came to the issues on his side of the ball, sending a message to the rest of the unit.
“Right now? It is not good. We have names and the pieces on paper, but we have to come out here and put it together,” Clowney said. “This is by far one of the [most] talented defenses I have been on. I see a lot in this defense, and right now, we aren’t showing up and doing it.”
The Browns will get another chance to bounce back against the Patriots next week. It’s unknown at this point whether or not Jones will be available to suit up.