A Julio Jones trade could transpire as the Falcons undergo a complete regime change. A lot of changes could be made this offseason, including the departure of star wide receiver Julio Jones.
Back in December, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Falcons have discussed Jones as a possible trade piece.
In a recent article NFL analyst Adam Rank sent out, he dove into why it would be a good idea to part ways with Jones:
“It seems like a big-name receiver gets dealt every summer. Like the release of another Fast & Furious movie. You just kind of get desensitized to it all. And if I’m talking about Jones, I should also point out that Matt Ryan feels like a candidate to be traded, as well, if Arthur Smith wants to develop his own quarterback. Yes, the contract looks prohibitive at first blush, but stranger things have happened. It’d probably have to be a post-June 1 trade, for dead-cap reasons. Send him to Pittsburgh if you must. Anyway, back to the subject at hand.
Moving Jones makes a lot of sense, with the emergence of Calvin Ridley this past season. Ridley had 100-plus receiving yards in five of seven games without Julio, so he’s ready to go. And that’s the thing. Julio just turned 32. He played just nine games last season due to injury. Let him try to get in one last run for a championship on a team that’s kind of close.
The Las Vegas Raiders would be fun, even though Julio can’t play defensive back. Baltimore would also be a nice option. The Ravens need a receiver like a party-goer needs a Burger King drive-thru at the end of the night.”
Over the next three years, Jones’ cap numbers look like $23.050 million, $19.263 million, and $19.263 million.
Although he only played in nine games in 2020, he still caught 51 passes for 771 yards and three touchdowns.
