Rams Trade LB Ernest Jones To Titans
Ernest Jones worked as a linebacker regular for the Rams over the past two seasons, emerging as a potential extension candidate. But the Rams had not planned on making such a move this year. After a run of trade rumors, Jones is moving on.
The Rams are dealing Jones to the Titans, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Tennessee will acquire a proven starter in a contract year, with the Rams losing an experienced option shortly before a season with playoff expectations. This will be a pick-swap trade. The Rams will collect a fifth-round pick from the Titans for Jones and a sixth, per veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. The exchanged picks are 2026 selections, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz adds.
This comes after Jones delivered an impact performance for the 2023 Rams. The former third-round pick reeled off 145 tackles (14 for loss), 4.5 sacks and six passes defensed. The Rams perennially keep costs low at linebacker, but it is nevertheless interesting they are willing to move on from a productive young defender.
Pro Football Focus rated Jones 13th among off-ball ‘backers last season, viewing the Rams starter as strong as a run defender and a blitzer while lacking in coverage. Jones started all 15 games he played last season and lined up alongside Bobby Wagner for most of the 2022 season. The Rams moved on from Wagner after one year, and they will now be tasked with replacing Jones days before a season.
This swiftly developing storyline escalated this week, when the Rams gave Jones’ camp permission to seek a trade. Jones, 24, then made it clear he did not request to be moved. The Rams communicated with teams Monday, and a deal has come to pass. This will be an interesting addition to a Titans team that lost Azeez Al-Shaair in free agency. That came a year after David Long moved on (to the Dolphins). Jones soon stands to be a key piece in Dennard Wilson‘s defense.
Tennessee has now imported two Los Angeles-based starters this year, having already brought in ex-Chargers first-rounder Kenneth Murray. The team also rosters Jack Gibbens, a former UDFA who started 13 games last season. PFF ranked Gibbens 30th among ILBs last season; he made 95 tackles in 14 games. The Titans gave Murray a two-year, $15.5MM deal but structured the contract to make it fairly easy to move on after one season. With Jones in a contract year, the Titans may have some short-term solutions on their defensive second level. This move also comes after the Titans lost Chance Campbell to an ACL tear.
Although the Rams make a habit of generating solid play from lower-level investments, this does appear a bit of a gamble. Unlike when L.A. cut Wagner, it is coming off a postseason berth. Jones led Rams linebackers (by far) with 988 defensive snaps last season; Christian Rozeboom was second (with 579). PFF rated Rozeboom, a former UDFA, 79th at the position in 2023. Another undrafted player, rookie Omar Speights, has impressed to the point he will make Los Angeles’ roster, with The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue connecting this and a willingness to move on from Jones (subscription required).
The Titans will have exclusive negotiating rights with Jones until March, leaving them time to evaluate this fit. The Rams were not eyeing a 2024 deal with Jones, but a team that gave up at least one to-be-determined asset for him may be more inclined to discuss an extension.
Rams Pare Roster To Initial 53
Here is how the Rams’ initial 53-man roster looks ahead of Sean McVay‘s eighth season:
Waived:
- OL A.J. Arcuri
- OL Justin Dedich
- RB Zach Evans
- TE Miller Forristall
- DB Tanner Ingle
- DB Shaun Jolly
- TE Nikola Kalinic
- DB Cam Lampkin
- DL Tuli Letuligasenoa
- OL Mike McAllister
- DL David Olajiga
- WR Xavier Smith
- WR Drake Stoops
- DB Jason Taylor II
- OLB Keir Thomas
- OL Zachary Thomas
- OLB Zachary VanValkenburg
- WR Sam Wiglusz
Waived/injured:
Placed on IR:
Placed on IR/return designation:
- OL K.T. Leveston
- DL Larrell Murchison
Despite Los Angeles trading Ernest Jones to the Titans, McVay said the team is not looking around at inside linebacker. The Rams kept kept five off-ball LBs — Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder, Jacob Hummel, Omar Speights and Elias Neal — and McVay labeled Rozeboom and Reeder as the team’s expected starters. Rozeboom, a former UDFA out of South Dakota State, has made five starts in his three-season career. Reeder, whom the Rams brought back last year after he spent 2022 with the Chargers, has made 31 career starts. Ten of those came during the team’s Super Bowl LVI-winning season. The veteran played only 192 defensive snaps last season. Both Neal and Speights were part of the team’s UDFA contingent this year.
The Rams’ other major piece of injury news emerged earlier today; Tyler Higbee will make the expected trip to the reserve/PUP list. That will knock out the team’s longtime tight end starter for at least four games. Leveston and Murchison are also sidelined for that span, but the Rams’ IR-return moves will lead to two of their eight injury activations being used before Week 1. The NFL greenlit up to two such moves this year, but the Rams have run out of injury activations in the not-so-distant past, exhausting theirs during an injury-flooded 2022 season.
The nephew of Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson, Tre’Vius played 318 special teams snaps as a rookie last year. This development follows Derion Kendrick‘s July ACL tear. The Rams placed Kendrick on IR weeks ago.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee To Begin Season On Reserve/PUP List
As expected, Tyler Higbee will be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season. The Rams tight end is being shifted to the reserve/PUP list, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Higbee is rehabbing an ACL tear suffered in Los Angeles’ wild-card loss. Missed time at the beginning of the campaign was always a distinct possibility as a result, and the team does not expect him to be fully healthy within the first four weeks of the season anyway. As Higbee continues to recover, the Rams will look elsewhere at the tight end spot.
The 31-year-old has been a consistent element of Los Angeles’ offense during his eight-year career. Higbee has started every game he is played in since 2017, and he has made 61 or more catches three times in a season. While 2023 was a down year in terms of production, his absence will still be felt on offense during the fall.
Los Angeles added Colby Parkinson in free agency on a two-year, $22.5MM deal. The former Seahawk will take on starting duties while Higbee is on the mend, and the Rams’ TE tandem when the latter is healthy will be an intriguing part of their offense. Los Angeles also has Hunter Long – acquired via trade last year – along with 2023 fifth-round selection Davis Allen in place on the depth chart. Those two will see elevated roles at least until Higbee is activated.
The former fourth-rounder is on the books for two more seasons, and he is due $17MM during that span. $2MM of Higbee’s 2025 roster bonus is already guaranteed, so having him back at full strength well before the start of next season will be key from the Rams’ perspective. He should be on the field at some point this year, but for now Los Angeles’ efforts to return to the postseason will take place without him in the picture.
Rams Have Communicated With Teams Over Ernest Jones Trade
It was learned on Sunday that Rams linebacker Ernest Jones‘ camp has been given permission to find a trade partner. The pending free agent did not ask to be moved, something head coach Sean McVay expanded on further when speaking to the media on Monday.
“We never said that he requested a trade. We’ve had communication with his representation and I’m going to leave that in house for now,” McVay confirmed (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith). “We’re just working through some different things and we’re just going to take it a day at a time… We had communication with his representation, there’s been some dialogue with teams, and that’s where it’s at.”
Teams regularly allow the agents of extension-eligible players to explore the market when negotiations stall out. Jones is a key component of the Rams’ defense, though, so McVay’s admission that trade talks with outside teams have already taken place is noteworthy. One year remains on the 24-year-old’s rookie contract, and any interested parties would likely have an extension worked out upon acquiring him.
Jones – whom The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes was absent from Monday’s practice (subscription required) – has upped his market value considerably given his play over the course of his three seasons in the league. The former third-rounder has taken on an increased workload each year, operating as a full-time starter and team captain in 2023. Jones racked up 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season, making him a logical extension candidate.
General manager Les Snead made it clear in March, however, that no long-term deal would be worked out during the 2024 offseason. Rodrigue’s latest update on the matter states rather definitively that Jones will be play out the final year of his deal if he is to remain in Los Angeles for at least one more year. A trade taking place between now and Week 1 would, of course, change that financial outlook.
As Rodrigue adds, undrafted rookie Omar Speights has impressed this offseason, and Snead confirmed he will make Los Angeles’ opening roster. The emergence of at least a depth LB contributor could make Jones easier to move from the Rams’ perspective, but the market he generates on a trade and/or an accompanying extension will remain worth watching closely.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/24
With roster cutdowns beginning around the league, Sunday saw a number of moves take place:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: WR Josh Ali, CB William Hooper, LB Storey Jackson, LB Donavan Mutin, QB John Paddock, TE Austin Stogner, CB Trey Vaval
- Released: OLB Bradlee Anae, OL Zack Bailey, S Lukas Denis, OL Jaryd Jones-Smith, OL John Leglue, TE Jordan Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: S Terrell Burgess, S Dee Delaney
- Waived: DE Rondell Bothroyd, OL Kevin Jarvis, LB Shayne Simon,
- Released: QB Anthony Brown, CB Kyron Brown, WR Damiere Byrd, LB Deion Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: CB Clay Fields III, K Spencer Shrader, QB Kedon Slovis, WR Derek Slywka, LB Mike Smith Jr.
- Released: WR Tyrie Cleveland, DE Derek Rivers, WR Greg Ward
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: DE Raymond Johnson, DT Jonathan Marshall, LB Andrew Parker Jr., WR Joseph Scates, WR Seth Williams
- Released: CB Tevaughn Campbell, TE Chris Myarick, DE Breeland Speaks, OL Keaton Sutherland
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: WR J.J. Laap, OL Blake Larson, OL Alec Lindstrom, LB Ochaun Mathis, DB Cameron McCutcheon, OL Grant Miller, LB Olakunle Fatukasi, RB SaRodorick Thompson, QB Dresser Winn
- Released: OL Matt Kaskey, DE Carlos Watkins
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: WR Anthony Schwartz
New York Giants
- Waived (injury designation): DT Timmy Horne, DB Jonathan Sutherland
- Waived: WR Ayir Asante, DL Kyler Baugh, CB Christian Holmes, DB Clayton Isbell, WR John Jiles, LB Trey Kiser, RB Lorenzo Lingard, OL Marcus McKethan
- Released: CB Breon Borders, RB Joshua Kelley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: WR T.J. Luther
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: P Nolan Cooney, DL Judge Culpepper, OL Xavier Delgado, LB Kalen DeLoach, CB Andrew Hayes, RB Ramon Jefferson, WR Cephus Johnson, OL Ryan Johnson, WR Latreal Jones, WR Tanner Knue, DL Brandon Matterson, OLB Jay Person, OLB Shaun Peterson, DL Lwal Uguak, WR Raleigh Webb, TE David Wells
- Released: TE Sal Cannella, LS Zach Triner
Buffalo’s decision to cut Jones marks a blow to his efforts in finding a roster spot on a new team. Considering the latest report on his status, however, it does not come as a surprise. The Bills dealt with a number of injuries at the linebacker spot last season and Matt Milano will miss extended time in 2024 due to a biceps tear. In spite of that, the team will look elsewhere for depth options unless Jones is retained via the practice squad later this week.
Rams Grant LB Ernest Jones Permission To Seek Trade
3:52pm: While Jones could find himself on the move, he made it clear via an X post that he never requested a trade. It will be interesting to see how much of a market develops in the coming days and whether or not any offers reach a level where Los Angeles seriously considers a deal.
9:21am: The Rams have given linebacker Ernest Jones permission to seek a trade, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Jones’ status as an extension candidate this offseason has been somewhat unclear. Back in March, we heard that Jones was on the club’s extension radar, but GM Les Snead said just a few days later that he would not authorize a new deal for the talented defender in 2024.
Earlier this month, however, Fowler himself reported that Jones is indeed a candidate for a second contract from the Rams, Los Angeles’ general unwillingness to pay big money to an off-ball LB notwithstanding. Fowler’s report from today notes that player and team have discussed an extension but have made no progress on that front. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic adds that the Rams broke off negotiations in the spring (subscription required).
Regardless of when contract talks took place and when they broke down, the upshot is that Snead & Co. are evidently prepared to adhere to their standard operating proecudure when it comes to off-ball ‘backers and let Jones seek his second NFL deal elsewhere. And, considering Jones’ performance to date, there could be a number of clubs interested in his services.
In 2023, Jones recorded 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks across 15 games (all starts) while enjoying a 93% snap share. That production is not a mere byproduct of heavy volume, as the South Carolina alum graded out as the 13th-best linebacker in the league out of 82 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus’ metrics. Of his 145 tackles, 14 of them were behind the line of scrimmage.
Jones, 24, is also Los Angeles’ defensive signal-caller, so the club would need to get someone else to fill that role if a trade is consummated. According to Rodrigue, the Rams’ willingness to move Jones may be at least partially informed by the emergence of UDFA rookie Omar Speights, whom Snead said will make the team. If Snead has decided that a Jones extension is too expensive for the Rams, he may believe that recovering some draft capital for him now while getting an extended look at Speights is more valuable than retaining Jones for one more season.
However, given Jones’ talent and obvious importance to the Rams’ defense, it would seemingly take a rather strong trade offer to pry him away from a club that qualified for the playoffs last year and is eyeing another postseason run in 2024. Perhaps this is a case of a GM allowing other teams to establish a player’s market before extending an offer of his own — after all, interested clubs would surely want to have a multiyear deal in place with Jones before pulling the trigger on a trade — but in any event, Rodrigue says the situation is fluid. In other words, neither a trade nor an extension is imminent.
Rams To Release RB Boston Scott
One of the players who will not be making the Rams’ initial roster will be Boston Scott. The veteran running back is set to be cut, insider Jordan Schultz reports. 
[RELATED: Ernest Jones Given Permission To Seek Trade]
As Schultz notes, Los Angeles plans to keep three backs in the fold once roster cutdowns take place. The presence of starter Kyren Williams, third-round rookie Blake Corum and former UDFA Ronnie Rivers have made Scott expendable. The latter has made 75 regular season appearances and eight starts in his career, each of them coming with the Eagles.
Scott’s best season in terms of overall production came in 2020 when he amassed 586 scrimmage yards. The following year, he scored a career-high seven touchdowns, all on the ground. Philadelphia’s backfield has been deep enough to prevent the 29-year-old from taking on a prominent offensive role, however, so Scott’s main contributions in recent years in particular have come on special teams.
Rivers is set to handle a heavy third phase workload with the Rams, so today’s news strongly points to him making the team. Of course, the bulk of offensive duties will rest on Williams after he led the NFL with 95.3 rushing yards per game last season. The 2022 fifth-rounder earned a Pro Bowl invitation and a second-team All-Pro nod as a result of his production, and expectations are high for a follow-up in 2024. Corum, added in the third round of this year’s draft, will operate as Williams’ backup.
Like any veterans let go ahead of the cutdown deadline (August 27), Scott will immediately become a free agent once his release is made official. That will leave him available to any interested teams, although several depth options are set to be let go over the coming days, meaning he may need to wait until the first wave of roster shuffling takes place to find his next opportunity (which could be a spot on the Rams’ practice squad).
Rams LT Alaric Jackson Issued Two-Game Suspension
Alaric Jackson will not be available at the beginning of the season. The Rams left tackle has been issued a two-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
Jackson does not have a prior history of league discipline. His absence will be felt up front by the Rams considering he served as the team’s starter on the blindside in 2023. His level of play at left tackle demonstrated his value on a new deal, and he was tendered as an RFA at the second-round level in March. Signing that one-year tender set Jackson up for $4.89MM in 2024.
The former UDFA will not be paid while serving this ban, however, reducing his earnings for the coming campaign. Jackson made 12 appearances and six starts across the 2021 and ’22 seasons, proving himself to be a key member of Los Angeles’ plans up front. He overtook Joe Noteboom on the depth chart on his way to earning first-team blindside duties. The latter is under contract for one more year, and he is a prime candidate to fill in for Jackson to start the year.
Noteboom agreed to a pay cut in March, a sign he could find himself on the free agent market in 2025. Today’s news could open the door to starting duties – albeit briefly – though, and a strong showing could help Noteboom’s value to the Rams or an interested team next spring. With Matthew Stafford (36) again set atop quarterback depth chart, the play of Los Angeles’ O-line will remain a critical factor in the team’s offensive success in 2024.
Jackson, 26, missed considerable training camp and preseason time as one of several Rams linemen who suffered an injury this summer. Given a week-to-week timeline at the start of August, his health should not be a question mark by the time the regular season starts. It will not be until Week 3, however, that Jackson will be eligible to make his season debut.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Jakeem Grant
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Bryan Thompson
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from active/PUP list: OL Yosh Nijman
- Signed: LB Aaron Beasley
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Peter LeBlanc, RB Jacob Saylors
- Waived/injured: TE Giovanni Ricci
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
Dallas Cowboys
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Shaka Toney
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DL Keonte Schad
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reverted to IR: WR Jaaron Hayek
Las Vegas Raiders
- Reverted to IR: WR Jeff Foreman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Isaac Rex
- Waived: DL Micheal Mason
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB SaRodorick Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Mohamed Ibrahim, OL Chuck Filiaga
- Reverted to IR: OL Jeremy Flax, S Najee Thompson
New Orleans Saints
- Reverted to IR: C Sincere Haynesworth
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Sheldrick Redwine.
Nijman underwent surgery to address a leg injury, and despite Dave Canales indicating the free agency pickup was a ways away from returning, he is back at practice barely a week later. It remains to be seen if Nijman will be able to suit up in Week 1, but he has some time here. The Panthers signed the ex-Packer blocker to be their swing tackle.
Grant will be able to suit up later this season, depending on the terms of the injury settlement. This transaction moves Grant off the Falcons’ roster. The former All-Pro return man has not played since the 2021 season, stacking the odds against him. He is going into what would be an age-32 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/24
Here are today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT T.J. Carter, LB Chris Garrett
- Waived: LS Joe Shimko
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived (with injury settlement): TE Scotty Washington
Buffalo Bills
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Lawrence Keys
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to IR: CB Lamar Jackson, WR Tayvion Robinson
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: CB Sheldrick Redwine
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: LB Malik Jefferson, WR Tre’Quan Smith
- Waived (with injury settlement): LB DaRon Gilbert, S Morice Norris Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: FB Henry Pearson
- Waived (with injury designation): RB Jarveon Howard
Houston Texans
- Signed: FB Nick Bawden
Indianapolis Colts
- Reverted to IR: G Josh Sills
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Ethan Fernea
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB E.J. Perry
- Waived: WR Brevin Easton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reverted to IR: G McKade Mettauer
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB DaShaun White
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Jerry Jacobs
Miami Dolphins
- Reverted to IR: LB Zeke Vandenburgh
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Kobe Jones, LB Christian McCarroll
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): WR Matt Landers
- Placed on IR: WR JaQuae Jackson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Joejuan Williams
- Activated from active/PUP: TE Juwan Johnson
- Waived (with injury designation): C Sincere Haynesworth
New York Giants
- Signed: S Clayton Isbell
- Reverted to IR: DT Ryder Anderson
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Dennis Houston
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Frank Darby
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Mikel Jones
- Placed on IR: LB Garret Wallow (story)
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Kendell Brooks, LB Chapelle Russell
- Waived (with injury designation): S Ben Nikkel
- Released (with injury designation): LB Keandre Jones
Free Agent
- Suspended: DT Kevin Strong
Strong was a surprising release by the Cardinals during the regular season last year. At the time, Strong was coming off of his strongest NFL campaign, but head coach Jonathan Gannon claimed that the release was what was “best for the team.” While we still don’t know the nature of the suspension, or whether or not it’s even related to his January release, we are aware that he will miss three games.