The Carolina Panthers are adding some depth to their linebacking corps during training camp, as ESPN reported Monday that the club had agreed to terms with linebacker Deion Jones on a one-year deal.
Jones spent the 2022 season with the Cleveland Browns, who sent the Atlanta Falcons a sixth-round pick in exchange for his rights plus a seventh-rounder in October. In 11 games played for Cleveland, Jones recorded 44 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, three passes defensed and an interception.
Jones spent his first six NFL seasons with the Falcons, who selected him with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of LSU. He recorded 108 combined tackles, 11 passes defensed, three interceptions and scored two touchdowns as Atlanta made Super Bowl LI in his rookie year. After three NFL seasons and one Pro Bowl appearance, Atlanta gave Jones a four-year, $57 million extension that carried $34 million in guarantees, making him the second-highest-paid inside linebacker at the time. In 96 career games played, the 28-year-old linebacker has recorded 696 combined tackles, 11 sacks, 47 passes defensed and 12 interceptions.
Carolina currently has Shaq Thompson and Frankie Luvu slated to start at inside linebacker. Behind them are several players vying for spots on roster and depth-chart positioning -- a group headlined by Brandon Smith and Kamu Grugier-Hill.
