Roster cutdowns are underway around the league. The Falcons have already begun the process of trimming their roster to 53 players by the 4 pm deadline on Tuesday.
Around the league, an old friend was recently released. Former Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones, who was once considered a premier player at his position, was waived by the Bills, per the team’s press release.
The former second-round pick out of LSU in 2016, Jones broke out immediately, becoming a key cog in Atlanta’s Super Bowl team as a rookie, finishing third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race.
Jones returned even better in 2017 but missed a lot of 2018 due to injury. Eventually, he earned a massive payday and started nearly every single game over the next three years, logging 353 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, and three interceptions over that period.
Unfortunately, poor play and bad scheme fit resulted in the Falcons trading Deion Jones to the Browns a few weeks into the 2022 campaign. He’s started eight games and appeared in 24 since that trade with the Browns in 2022 and the Panthers in 2023. He should still be able to catch on somewhere around the league, though.
In that same release, the Bills waived Damiere Byrd. The 31-year-old pass catcher played in 14 games for the Falcons in 2022, logging 13 receptions for 268 yards and two scores.
Byrd is a speedster who fits a niche role around the league. A possible reunion with both could work, but one with Byrd is much more likely, given the Falcons’ need at the position and the depth at linebacker.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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