Where might Julio Jones play in 2021?
In recent days the Atlanta Falcons have confirmed that they are fielding calls for future hall of fame receiver, Julio Jones. The reason for this can be seen in the fact that the team is strapped for cap space and trading Julio with a post June 1 designation can save them well over $10 million in cap space. With the post June 1 designation, it makes the trade a little tricky. The reason for this is that any team trading for Jones cant use any picks in the 2021 draft to make the trade, they’ll have to use 2022 picks and beyond, adding just another level to this trade happening. With such a highly touted and highly talented player on the market now, who in the NFL should push for this trade and attempt to acquire such a sensational receiver?
The first team we want to throw out there is the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore has been trying to surround their young quarterback and former MVP, Lamar Jackson with receivers that can help him succeed. The team has attempted to sign names like Juju Smith Schuster, the team has only been able to bring in Sammy Watkins through free agency. Watkins will certainly help the team, but he wasn’t exactly the lead receiver when he was in Kansas City and now that he’s the veteran in that room, he will bear some responsibility. If the Ravens were to facilitate a trade for Jones he would come in as the undisputed number one and will help take double teams off of Watkins, Boykin and Brown. The ravens could even potentially use one of their draft picks this year in the first round to take a receiver, a guy like Elijah Moore. Now that receiver room will certainly be unmatched.
The next team that you should keep your eyes on are the Las Vegas Raiders. Jon Gruden will attempt to do almost anything to make his team successful, and trading for probably the best receiver in the game today will do that. Derek Carr has been a reliable quarterback throughout his career, but he hasn’t been particularly sensational. Giving Carr Julio Jones will give him the opportunity to toss to one of the best to ever do it, and will increase his margin for error, considering how much better Julio makes his quarterback. If the Raiders were able to make a trade for Jones, their receiver room would look like this, Henry Riggs, Julio Jones, John Brown and Willie Snead, with Darren Waller at tight end. This is certainly a team you wouldn’t want to deal with, and with the Chiefs looking like they’ll take a step back, the Raiders would definitely be a team to watch.
The final team well touch on is probably the most likely in our eyes, and that is the Tennessee Titans. This offseason the Titans lost almost all of their receiving talent. Jonnu Smith left, as well as Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, and Kalif Raymond. The starting three for the Titans currently is AJ Brown, Josh Reynolds and Cameron Batson. To say the least, the Titans certainly need some veteran presence in their receivers room, and adding Julio Jones would take them from a top 16 offense to a top five instantly. The offense would consist of Tannehill under center, Derrick Henry in the backfield and then AJ and Julio catching downfield, and they’ll still have the possibility to go receiver at pick 22 tomorrow night. This offense is one that certainly needs some attention and a trade for Julio would address almost all their problems.
To conclude, Julio Jones is a sensational talent, and will undoubtedly end up in Canton. It really is unfortunate that the Falcons have to move him and it’s Brussels of the reduced cap space due to the pandemic. Where ever he ends up he will certainly make an impact, not only on the filed but also in the younger players in the locker room that he’ll be joining.