Buffalo Bills Sign Former Cleveland Browns Pro Bowler, Starter

The Bills lost released Jordan Poyer, Siran Neal, Deonte Harty, Nyheim Hines, and Tre’Davious White. They also lost Gabe Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency and traded away Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. Even with those losses, Bills general manager Brandon Beane thinks the team can reload and be good in 2024.

Deion Jones signs with the Bills

According to Adam Schefter with ESPN, the Bills added one veteran player to the reload. They are signing linebacker Deion Jones to a one-year deal.

The Atlanta Falcons selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 NFL Daft. The Falcons traded Jones to the Cleveland Browns in 2022. He signed with the Carolina Panthers for the 2023 season.

At 29, Jones has made 91 starts and played in 109 games in his eight-year NFL career. The six-foot-one, 222-pound linebacker has 731 total tackles, 12 sacks, 13 interceptions, 53 passes defended, and five forced fumbles during that span.

Per Pro Football Focus, Jones earned a 66.3 overall grade for his play last season. He struggled with run defense, earning a 43.8 grade. He’s graded higher as a pass rusher (72.8) and in coverage (76.7), allowing opposing quarterbacks a 57.8 rating. He could be a key defender in obvious passing downs.

Bills and NFL fans’ initial reaction to the signing

Here are the best immediate reactions to the signing.