Deion Jones signed to 1-year deal per Schefter

[Matt_In_NH]

This guy was kick a$$ a few years ago

[gonzo1105]

Im guessing we’re keeping 6 LBs like usual. 
 

We know they Milano, Bernard, and Williams are locks 

 

Beyond that we have Ulofoshio who we drafted in the 5th and is likely to make it for STs

 

Jones seems to have the inside track at Mike backup 

 

Morrow and Spector battling for the last spot 

[DrDawkinstein]

Liked him coming out of college, and some years here in Atlanta. Good AJ Klein vet depth replacement.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

42 minutes ago, Special K said:

Insert former Panther joke here.....

Too bad we never went after DJ Moore.

[HappyDays]

Brandon Beane wakes up in a cold sweat every night thinking about AJ Klein covering Travis Kelce. He can't fall back asleep until he's added another LB to the roster. That's the only explanation.

[wppete]

My first thought is Milano might not be ready for the start of the season which is ok. Need some experience to fill in until Milano comes back fully healthy. I like this move. 

[NeverOutNick]

My first instinct without reading any comments is I like this move. I’ve always liked Deon Jones back with Atlanta, so why not throw a cheap deal his way to see if he regain  some of that mojo 

[Dablitzkrieg]

53 minutes ago, Special K said:

Insert former Panther joke here.....

Just the tip?

[BuffaloBillyG]

12 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

I don't think signing guys like Morrow and Jones and spending a late 5th on a LB speaks to their concern of Milano's availability.

 

If there were concern there, they'd have done something more than these moves. Morrow and Jones are considered fringe players and Ulofoshio is a development player. You have to keep in mind that we lost Tyrel Dodson, Tyler Matakevitch, and AJ Klein this offseason. I don't see any way both Morrow and Jones make it to the 53. 

 

Jones at this stage in his career is a Camp Battle body. He was traded to Cleveland along with a 7th Round Pick in exchange for a 6th in 2022. He signed with Carolina in 2023, didn't make the 53, and was re-signed to the Practice Squad.

Losing Dodson and Matakevich is valid. Klein was only brought in as a very late replacement, so in essence he would be "replaced" by Milano's return IMO. 

 

Also, not sure how much the really would have done earlier in the off season without much cap and the draft still ahead of them.

 

Again, not saying Milano won't be back. But as always, we don't know what we don't know.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

For only using 2 LB, we have a TON.

- 29 years old

- 8 starts last 2 seasons, 3 last year

- Still managed 6 PBUs, a sack, and 4 TFL

- QBs only completed 54% (13/24) against him.

- Allowed a QB rating of sub 45

- Incredibly productive earlier in his career.

- 5 missed tackles last year (12%)

 

 

 

Edited May 2 by TheyCallMeAndy

[I'm Spartacus]

For the love of God can the Bills stop with the Carolina love fest? What does it say about Beane and our scouting department? Don't they have enough balls to explore other teams across the league? Sounds like the Bills are afraid to explore other options with different teams.

[HurlyBurly51]

YEAH

[Process]

Find you someone that loves you as much as Beane loves backup LBs

[QCity]

Guy was an absolute stud in Atlanta before injuries caught up to him. Has had shoulder issues since high school. Nice for insurance.

[Warcodered]

56 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

Brandon Beane wakes up in a cold sweat every night thinking about AJ Klein covering Travis Kelce. He can't fall back asleep until he's added another LB to the roster. That's the only explanation.

I mean it sounds like a joke, but it really does fit, guy seems like someone they can bring in cheap to be LB depth due to his situation, but bringing him into this scheme with this coaching staff he could have a resurgence and be very solid.

Edited May 2 by Warcodered

[TheyCallMeAndy]

1 hour ago, Mikie2times said:

Used to be a solid cover LB. 

Still is exceptional in coverage

5 minutes ago, Process said:

Find you someone that loves you as much as Beane loves backup LBs

To be fair, every LB is a backup when you have Milano and the Nard-dog. 

[Beck Water]

57 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

This off season they've brought in Morrow and drafted LBer late combined with how almost secretive they have been about the Milano injury since day 1 while having a guy they liked enough to draft in Round 3 last year and Spector. And now this. 

 

They aren't approaching the LBer room in a way that leads me to believe they think an All Pro LBer is returning at the start of the season. Not saying he's not, of course. Just taking a lot of bites at the LBer apple for a team that only plays 2 at a time (with some coverage on STs.)

 

Well, let me put it to you in a different light.

 

Beane has said that the last game the team plays tends to showcase the weaknesses.

 

What happened in the last, the last 2 games really, that the team played?

1) we had inadequate LB depth - Milano had already been lost to the season.  Tyrel Dodson, who replaced him platooning with Poyer, was lost halfway through the final regular season game.  Terrel Bernard was lost halfway through the WC playoff.   So we platooned AJ Klein, Dorian Williams, and Baylon Spector during the Pittsburgh game after Bernard went out, then Klein, 1-armed Dodson, and Dorian Williams vs KC.  Let's just say, "It didn't work".

2) our WR were getting out-physicaled by the KC LB and DB.  I'm not sure who it was but I literally saw one of our receivers shoved like 3 yards off his route - all legal and within 5 yds of the LOS

 

Basically, McDermott and Beane were forced to acknowledge that 31 yr old Matekevich was 100% there for ST at this point, that they couldn't count on Dodson or Spector to back up Bernard at MLB, and maybe Dorian Williams will develop but he's not there yet.  So Dodson and Matekevich are gone. 

 

That left our LB corps at Milano, Bernard, Williams, Spector, Morrow, and who?  We usually have 6.  I don't think they want to count on a late 5th round rookie; if he can beat someone out, great, if not, he can sit on the practice squad.  

 

Even if they 100% count on the return of Milano (and in one of his brief press interactions, Milano said that his recovery was on track and he would have a normal off-season; he strode into the building for OTAs like a man on a mission), the Bills badly need adequate depth at LB, that is an upgrade to Matekevich, Dodson, Klein, Spector, and Williams.  Morrow started in Chicao 2 yrs ago and Philly last year; he also played teams.  It's been 3 years since Deion Jones started in Atlanta, but he played about 1/3 of the defensive snaps for Carolina last season and more for Cleveland the year before (after an early stint on IR).  

 

Now Spector and Williams may take a step, not saying they can't especially rookie Williams.  But if they don't, Beane is a Man with a Plan.  None of us want to see AJ Klein walk out on the field at MLB next to Tyrell Dodson for a playoff game, and that includes Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott.

 

 

 

[ColoradoBills]

Filling out the camp LB room with a vet like this is pretty good.  Especially since they will be bringing Milano around slow in camp.

[Beck Water]

12 minutes ago, I'm Spartacus said:

For the love of God can the Bills stop with the Carolina love fest? What does it say about Beane and our scouting department? Don't they have enough balls to explore other teams across the league? Sounds like the Bills are afraid to explore other options with different teams.

 

For the love of God can the posters on TBD stop squealing about CaroLove every time the Bills sign a player who had some association with Carolina?

 

The Bills aren't signing Deion Jones because he most recently played for Carolina.  The Bills are signing him because he was a damned fine MLB for Atlanta for 6 years and while he's probably no longer a Beast in the Middle, he's an upgrade on Tyler Matakevich and AJ Klein.  The fact that his most recent year was with Carolina is immaterial beyond Beane maybe called Dan Morgan to see if he could get some inside scoop on him, as he would call any FO guy he knew when a player had missed games with injury.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Bills now have 9 or 10 LBers under contract for the summer, up from 8 last year. 
 

2 is a pretty significant increase…