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The Buffalo Bills added some depth and experience to their linebacking corps when they signed Deion Jones this offseason, but one report suggests the eight-year veteran may not make it to Week 1.
The Bills signed the former Pro Bowler in May, adding a veteran presence in the locker room and a steady player to back up Terrel Bernard at middle linebacker. The emergence of an unlikely candidate could now push Jones to the wrong side of the roster bubble, Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon wrote.
Pro Bowler’s Best Days Behind Him
Kenyon named Jones as the player the Bills should release at final roster cutdowns, noting that he failed to stand out during training camp and the preseason.
Jones came to the Bills with a long track record of success in the NFL, though a dip in production in recent years. He started 83 total games over the first six years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, topping 100 tackles in all but his second season, when injuries limited him to just six total games. Jones earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2017.
Jones has since moved to a reserve role, starting just three games in 13 total appearances last season with the Carolina Panthers and making 35 total tackles.
Kenyon wrote that Jones’ best days are likely behind him and may struggle to find a spot on the final roster — though injuries could help his case.
“Because of injuries, there’s a chance Deion Jones sticks in Buffalo for a bit,” he wrote. “At this point, however, hope of Jones reclaiming his early career form is more wishful than anything.”
Joe Andreessen Could Steal Deion Jones’ Roster Spot
Kenyon noted that the surprise success of hometown linebacker Joe Andreessen could ultimately push Jones “to the wrong side of the roster bubble.” Andreessen earned a contract after impressing the team during a rookie minicamp tryout in May, then continued his strong play through OTAs and the start of training camp.
He shined even more in preseason games, making a game-high 12 tackles in the team’s August 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Bills keeping Bernard out of the lineup as a precaution, Andreessen started and served as the “green dot” communicator of pre-snap calls to the defense, SI.com’s Ralphe Ventre noted.
Andreessen’s performance earned some big praise from his teammates, including defensive end Greg Rousseau.
“He’s that guy. You couldn’t sense any fear with Joe. Stepped up to the plate, called it [the defense cues] with the 1s,” Rousseau said, via SI.com. “It was great seeing him fly around here, making open-field tackles and doing his thing.”
Andreessen could be vying for more than just a roster spot. Anthony Prohaska of The Sporting News suggested that second-year linebacker Dorian Williams may not have a firm grasp on a starting spot, giving Andreessen an opening to play a more significant role.
“If Williams is underwhelming from a processing standpoint like he was as a rookie in 2023, or in coverage like he has been in moments during this preseason, that could open the door for Andreessen (or another linebacker) to see reps instead,” Prohaska wrote. “The preseason finale gives Andreessen another strong opportunity to lock down a roster spot and push himself up the depth chart.”
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