Bills add ex-Pro Bowl linebacker to their defense

Sep 24, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; A view of a Buffalo Bills player’s helmet on the sidelines against the Washington Commanders at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills are working hard to replenish some of the talent that they lost this offseason.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the Bills are signing veteran linebacker Deion Jones in free agency. They will be giving Jones a one-year deal, Schefter adds.

Jones, 29, is an eight-year NFL veteran. He played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2016-21 and made a Pro Bowl team in 2017 after leading the team that year with 138 combined tackles and three interceptions. Jones then went on to play for the Cleveland Browns (in 2022) and the Carolina Panthers (in 2023) but didn’t quite recapture his form after a 2022 shoulder surgery.

In addition to trading away Stefon Diggs and letting Gabriel Davis leave in free agency, the Bills decided to move on from several defensive mainstays this offseason. They will be hoping that some low risk, cost-effective vets like Jones can help them regain some stability on their roster.