Clint Lamb
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Julio Jones has been everything the Atlanta Falcons had hoped for when they traded up from No. 27 to No. 6 back in the 2011 NFL Draft. The All-Pro wide receiver has been productive, and he’s been a great representative of the organization.
With that said, Jones also just turned 32 years old in February. There should still be production left in the Alabama product, but it might be time for the Falcons to consider moving on, especially with his current cap hit.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport with the NFL Network, Atlanta is considering doing just that. They have taken calls from other organizations, but nothing will likely happen with Jones until after June 1. The reason? Trading him prior to that date would cause issues with the salary cap.
The #Falcons have received calls from teams inquiring about possible trades for All-Pro WR Julio Jones, sources say. A trade could not happen for cap reasons before June 1, but teams know Atlanta’s brutal cap situation and are calling. A deal won’t happen now, but later? Maybe.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2021
If the Falcons trade Jones on June 2 or later, then they will save $15.3 million, a sizable chunk for a team dealing with significant cap issues.
Offboarding Jones might be a smart financial move, but it won’t be popular amongst fans. What the Falcons do at No. 4 on Thursday night may help alleviate the loss though. With Calvin Ridley already in place, pairing him with a talent such as Florida tight end Kyle Pitts might be enough to overcome losing Jones. It would have been fun to see that SEC trio together, but it probably wouldn’t have been cost-effective.
Jones will have plenty of potential landing spots. We could see teams such as the Baltimore Ravens or Tennessee Titans make a move, as both need more help at receiver. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins or Detroit Lions try to make a play for him.
This story could get interesting as we roll on into the summer months, so stay tuned.
Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
Denver has 7 picks in the Draft. Put them in the running.
Here’s the question, why would anyone say the Falcons are taking calls? What does that mean? Really, I imagine everyone is “taking calls” this time of year, but does it mean anything? I guess the Falcons could be trying to drive up interest, but now Jones is hanging out on a limb.
Seems to me the rookie contract of the player coming in shouldn’t make a trade necessary…unless they have other plans as well. But the pick shouldn’t automatically warrant a trade.
Holy cow. It just seems like Julio entered the NFl just a couple of years ago. I cannot believe he is 32!!
Terrible draft move. Destroyed the O And D lines for a decade.