The Atlanta Falcons picked up their first victory of the season in Week 3 on their visit to the Seattle Seahawks. Now 1-2, the Falcons could look to build on that as no teams have really separated themselves from the pack yet in the NFC. Many people are expecting the Falcons to eventually become sellers and one player that could draw some interest on the trade market is linebacker Deion Jones, and the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are two teams to watch.
Jones is currently on IR as he recovers from shoulder surgery that he underwent in the offseason.
Jones was involved in trade talks during the offseason but Atlanta was unable to find a team willing to take him on. As a result, the Falcons restructured his contract and now he is owed a base salary of only $1.1 million, a much more palatable number for teams.
How aggressively the Falcons look to trade him once he is cleared and healthy to go will depend on how things shake out in the coming weeks. Atlanta has a rather daunting schedule coming up with games against the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals. Their last game ahead of the trade deadline is against the Carolina Panthers.
Riding high after their first win of the season, the Falcons will likely be underdogs in their next four games. Coming out of this stretch still in the playoff picture would be impressive, as it is more likely that Jones becomes a prime trade candidate.
Two teams to keep an eye on should Atlanta be open to moving Jones are the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas has gone 2-0 without starting quarterback Dak Prescott, remaining a viable playoff contender in the conference.
Jones would be a nice addition to their defense as depth for the second level as they have revamped their linebackers group since Dan Quinn took over as defensive coordinator. Quinn has experience working with Jones as well from his days as the Falcons head coach.
The Steelers are in desperate need of some help against the run. They are getting gashed by their opponents on the ground, surrendering 142.7 yards per game. Deion Jones would help in that regard as he racked up 137 tackles last season.
Adding that kind of sideline-to-sideline linebacker would certainly help Pittsburgh. Their pass rush is suffering right now with T.J. Watt sidelined and teams are taking full advantage as the Steelers are 0-2 without their star pass rusher.
