Surprise Cut: Deion Jones on Falcons Roster Bubble?

Jones enters his sixth season with uncertainty surrounding his future in Atlanta.

There’s no real debating the fact that the Atlanta Falcons are officially in rebuild mode after a 7-10 season in 2021. 

But could part of the process of rebooting the franchise come at the cost of parting ways with Pro Bowl veteran linebacker Deion Jones?

ESPN recently released its candidates to land on the roster bubble for all 32 teams. Jones, 27, was listed as a potential victim of the chopping block later this offseason for the Falcons. Here's what the list had to say:

This is a tricky one, because Jones not being on the roster would likely come more due to a trade than a release -- but at this point, anything is possible with the 2017 Pro Bowler. His dead money (almost $19 million) would be tough for Atlanta to deal with, but it already has over $63 million in dead cap space for 2022, so it might not matter that much. To be clear, this doesn't mean Jones won't be on the team this fall -- he could be -- but rather that his overall situation with the Falcons is up in the air.

As a rookie in 2016, Jones was the league-leader in pick-sixes (two) and interception return yards (165) from his linebacker spot. Since then, he's turned himself into one of the more underrated backers in the NFL. He's started 83 of a possible 85 games in his career. 

Along with being one of the fastest at his position, Jones has also remained extremely durable during his six years in the league. He's started 16 games in four out of six seasons while totaling 652 total tackles, 40 tackles-for-loss, 8.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, 44 passes defended, 11 interceptions, and five total touchdowns. 

Jones is arguably the best player on this list as only one of the two former Pro Bowlers, joining Kansas City Chiefs receiver Josh Gordon. 

It would certainly sting for the Falcons to part ways with a longtime player like Jones, who is starting the summer on PUP due to his shoulder rehab. But with his four-year, $57 million deal set to expire as he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2024, Atlanta could certainly look to trade him before the start of this season in order to add valuable draft stock or young talent for the future.