Getty Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones walking off of the football field after an NFL game.
The Buffalo Bills made a surprise move just before the roster deadline, parting ways with veteran linebacker Deion Jones and keeping undrafted rookie Joe Andreessen on their final roster.
But Jones could soon find his way back to the team after a spate of injuries, a new report predicts. Bleacher Report named Jones as the one player the Bills should add now, noting that a pair of injuries shortened the depth chart.
“The Bills had veteran linebacker Deion Jones come in during training camp before ultimately cutting him,” the report noted. “Hopefully they saved his number because the linebacker position continues to get thinner in Buffalo. Matt Milano might be gone for the season, and Terrel Bernard is expected to be out for a month after suffering a pec strain against the Dolphins.”
Bills Released Deion Jones in August
The Bills brought in Jones this offseason to add depth to their linebacking corps, but ultimately parted ways with him on August 25, just ahead of the final cutdown to the 53-man roster. Jones has started 91 games over the course of his eight-year NFL career and made the Pro Bowl in 2017, his second season with the Atlanta Falcons.
Jones had taken on a reserve role in recent years, starting three games in 13 appearances for the Carolina Panthers last season, ending the season with 35 tackles with 1 sack.
Jones became expendable to the Bills thanks to the unexpected performance of Andreessen, who grew up in Lancaster, New York, just outside of Buffalo. Andreessen originally came to the team on a rookie minicamp tryout and impressed enough to earn a contract and a return to training camp, where he outplayed Jones and showed off his versatility both on defense and special teams.
Bills Could Need Short-Term Help
The Bills may need some help at linebacker after Bernard was hurt against the Dolphins on September 12. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Bernard is expected to return this season, but could be placed on injured reserve.
“Tests showed that Bills LB Terrel Bernard strained his pectoral last night, but it is not considered a season-ending injury, per sources. Bernard could miss about a month and be an IR candidate,” Schefter wrote.
Speaking to reporters on September 13, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the team is still discussing whether Bernard could be placed on injured reserve, which would keep him out at least four weeks.
“Unfortunately, he’s going to be out multiple weeks,” McDermott said, via Chris Brown of the Bills Radio Network. “We’re talking about whether or not it’s an IR conducive type of situation or not. I’m aware of the report, and we still have some internal conversations that we have to have to determine if it’s going to end up in IR or not.”
The Bills have been hit hard by other injuries on defense, losing Milano during training camp and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson in the Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Though the Bills have not said exactly when Johnson could return, they opted not to put him on injured reserve.
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