The Tennessee Titans continued their offseason roster overhaul, adding a tackling maven on cutdown day.
The Titans are finalizing a trade with the Los Angeles Rams for linebacker Ernest Jones, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
Tennessee receives Jones and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick in exchange for a 2026 fifth-rounder, NFL Network Ian Rapoport added.
The Rams have had trade conversations in recent days regarding Jones after contract talks stalled entering the final year of his rookie deal, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported on Sunday.
Two days later, they found a partner.
A third-round pick in 2021, Jones has grown into a tackling connoisseur, generating 114 takedowns in 2022 and 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2023. The linebacker also played a key role in the Rams' Super Bowl LVI victory, gobbling up seven tackles, three QB hits, a sack, two tackles for loss and a pass defended against Cincinnati in the big game.
The contract difference coupled with the emergence of rookie Omar Speights, who general manager Les Snead recently glowed over, likely led to the Rams’ willingness to part ways with a defensive leader.
In Tennessee, linebacker was a position of glaring need entering the season. GM Ran Carthon did well to answer the LB question by importing a player with 33 starts who can sniff out ball carriers and knife into the backfield. Doing so for a late-round pick swap two drafts down the line is thievery.