FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons restructured linebacker Deion Jones’ contract to get him more cash sooner and create some salary-cap space for the team.
The Falcons converted $8.5 million of his salary to a bonus for $6.8 million of cap space, with three voided years added to spread out the bonus. The Falcons declined to comment about the move.
Field Yates of ESPN first reported the move that has been confirmed by Jones’ representation.
Jones, who is on injured reserve, had one of the four big contracts that general manager Terry Fontenot cited at the NFL scouting combine. Now the Falcons have made moves on all four.
After losing the Deshaun Watson derby, the Falcons traded Matt Ryan to the Colts and took on a $40.5 million dead salary-cap hit. The Falcons extended left tackle Jake Matthews and defensive end Grady Jarrett’s contracts to lower their salary-cap numbers for 2022.
Jones had the highest salary-cap number on the team, at $20 million for the 2022 season. It now will drop to $13.2 million, which may make him more attractive to other teams.
“To be honest, I didn’t even see them,” Jones said last month about the trade rumors. “I don’t really be on social media during the offseason. But, yeah, I would have known something if it was something serious.
“(Falcons coach Arthur Smith) would have called me. My agent (Drew Rosenhaus) would have called me. So, other than that, I was just locked in getting my body back.”
With Jones recovering from shoulder surgery, the Falcons started Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker at middle linebacker against the Saints on Sunday in the season opener.
Jones and Foye Oluokun, who led the NFL in tackles with 192 last season and signed with Jacksonville in free agency, were the starters last season on a defense that finished ranked 27th in the league. Jones, who was a Pro Bowler in 2017, had 137 tackles last season.
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Atlanta Falcons 2022 NFL schedule
Sept. 11: Saints 27, Falcons 26
Sept. 18 at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m.
Sept. 25 at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Oct. 9 at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Oct. 16 vs. San Francisco, 1 p.m.
Oct. 23 at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Oct. 30 vs. Carolina, 1 p.m.
Nov. 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Carolina, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 20 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m.
Nov. 27 at Washington, 1 p.m.
Dec. 4 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
BYE WEEK
Dec. 18 at New Orleans, TBD
Dec. 24 at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Jan. 1 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
