Julio Jones’s days with the Atlanta Falcons appear to be numbered. The former first round pick from Alabama apparently asked the Falcons organization for a trade a few months ago. Jones even admitted on live TV with FS1 Undisputed host Shannon Sharpe that he would be traded soon by saying “I’m outta there!” (Sporting News).
Where will the 6-3, 220 pound playmaker land? Jones is a future Hall of Famer, but how much does he have left in the tank at 32-years old? Here are three potential landing spots for the seven time Pro Bowler.
Tennessee Titans
Rumors started churning a couple of days ago that Jones could find himself in Nashville with the Titans. In fact, Titans All-World wide receiver A.J. Brown sent Jones a voicemail via his Instagram page to try and convince him to join the Titans. Though Jones and Brown would form a definite dynamic duo at wide out, Tennessee has very little salary cap space available, so that could hinder any potential deal.
The Titans are currently listed as the fourth most likely team to land Jones. However, a video was recently leaked with Jones working out with his former Alabama teammate and Titans bruising running back Derrick Henry. To get Jones to Nashville, both Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill would have to agree to restructure their current contracts.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers management team is desperate to get Aaron Rodgers to stay in Green Bay after multiple reports have said that the reigning NFL MVP wanted out of town. Bringing in one of the best receivers in the league may convince Rodgers to stay in cheese land after all. Packers fans are drooling at the thought of Jones and Davante Adams both catching long bombs from Rodgers.
Like most NFL teams, the Packers do not have the cap space available to accommodate Jones’s near 16 million dollar salary for the 2021 season. For the Packers to land Jones, they would have to give up a first round draft pick in next year’s draft and ask the Falcons to pick up at least five million of Jones’s 2021 salary. We can almost hear Rodgers yelling his approval of this deal from his favorite Hawaiian vacation spot!
New England Patriots
If there is one thing all football fans have been reminded of this offseason, it is to never count out Bill Belichick. Belichick may be 69-years old, but his appetite for winning is stronger than ever as evidenced by the flurry of offseason acquisitions the Patriots made. Jones has even reportedly said that he would love to team up with Patriots quarterback Cam Newton.
Just how likely is it that Jones will end up in Foxboro? According to a few online sportsbooks, New England is listed as the betting favorite to land the primetime playmaker. Even with all their offseason signings, the Pats still have a healthy 15 million of salary cap space available. All of this is just fun speculation at this point, but it is highly likely that Jones will have a new home soon.
