CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are acquiring linebacker Deion Jones from the Atlanta Falcons, a person familiar with the move confirmed to the Akron Beacon Journal on Sunday evening.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report the trade.
The compensation the Browns are sending back to Atlanta is a late-round draft pick. Per Albert Breer of MMQB, the Browns are also getting back a 2024 seventh-round pick, while sending the Falcons a 2024 sixth-round pick.
The deal won’t be official until Jones, who is on the injured reserve list after having offseason right shoulder surgery, arrives in Cleveland and passes his physical.
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The Browns defense has been shredded the last two weeks, first by Jones’ former team and then Sunday in a 30-28 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers, who had come into the game last in the league averaging 64.5 rushing yards a game, ran for 238 yards against Cleveland.
Those struggles coincide with the season-ending torn quad tendon suffered by middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. in the third quarter of the Sept. 22 win over Pittsburgh. Third-year pro Jacob Phillips has stepped into Walker’s spot the last two weeks.
Jones was a 2016 second-round pick out of LSU. He has 652 career tackles, 8.5 sacks, 11 interceptions (five of which have been returned for touchdowns), four forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in his career.
Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
