The Los Angeles Rams are working on a deal to trade linebacker Ernest Jones to the Tennessee Titans, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Rams and Titans hadn't finalized the deal to send Jones to Tennessee.
Jones was the Rams' leading tackler and defensive signal-caller last season, and he was expected to be a key component of their defense again this fall as one of the NFL's better interior linebackers. But the 2021 third-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he clearly had made no significant progress on a contract extension with the Rams, who have a history of minimizing the importance of Jones' position in their payroll decisions.
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Although the trade still hadn't been announced late Tuesday, Rams coach Sean McVay acknowledged during a teleconference that Jones is on his way out of Los Angeles after three seasons.
“Football decision, what we felt was best for the football team,” McVay said. “Amazing guy. He was great for us for a few years, but we felt that this was best for our football team.”
McVay said the Rams don't plan to add a veteran inside linebacker, instead going into the season with the collection of unsung veterans and rookies already behind Jones on the depth chart.
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The Rams gave Jones permission to seek a trade Sunday. The fourth-year pro said he didn't request a trade, but the Rams quickly found a deal to ship out one of the most important players on a defense looking to find a new identity in the absence of retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
The Titans are thin at linebacker, and they announced Monday that Chance Campbell will miss the season with a torn knee ligament.
The Rams are historically uninterested in paying significant amounts to linebackers, usually filling the position with fringe players making minimal salaries. They have only given a major contract to an interior linebacker once since returning home to Los Angeles, paying Bobby Wagner for what turned out to be one year with the team in 2022.
Jones became a mainstay of the Rams’ defense two seasons ago, playing alongside Wagner for a year before taking over as the lynchpin in the middle of the lineup last season. Jones led the Rams last season with 145 tackles — 51 more than safety Jordan Fuller in second place — while making 4 1/2 sacks and excelling as a blitzing linebacker.
Jones has no obvious replacement at middle linebacker for the Rams. Veterans Troy Reeder — an improbable starter on the Rams' Super Bowl-winning team — and Christian Rozeboom could both step up, while undrafted free agent Omar Speights also made the roster in training camp.
