Deion Jones is in for a homecoming. The New Orleans Saints are signing the former LSU Tiger and Jesuit High School standout, meaning the 31-year old will have suited up for all four NFC South teams. It's a one-year deal for the former Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowler, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Jones was a pick for the second team on our All-NFC South Team of the 2010s.
A second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jones spent six years in Atlanta while appearing in 85 games (83 starts), plus five playoff starts. He has since bounced around the league with the Cleveland Browns in 2022 before returning to the division in a deal with the Carolina Panthers back in 2023. Jones spent the last two seasons on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but didn't start a game while logging
more snaps on special teams (285) than defense (120).
Because the Saints placed wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk on the reserve/retired list earlier this week, they don't necessarily need to file a corresponding move to sign Jones. But more roster movement is coming. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee hasn't gone on injured reserve yet despite undergoing season-ending knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. Veteran edge rusher Chris Rumph II moved to a full-time linebacker role this offseason but left Thursday's practice with an ankle injury, so Jones signing may be related to that. Stay tuned.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Report: Saints sign former LSU linebacker, New Orleans native
