For a long time now, Julio Jones has been an ever-present thorn against NFC teams. The talented wideout was drafted by Atlanta Falcons in 2011 as the 6th overall pick. The former University of Alabama star has gone on to establish himself as one of the best wide receivers in the last decade along with the likes of Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham Jr., and others.
Most Receiving Yards per Game in NFL history:
1. Julio Jones (95.5)
2. Calvin Johnson (86.1)
3. Michael Thomas (85.0)
4. Antonio Brown (84.5)
5. Odell Beckham Jr. (83.3) pic.twitter.com/LQfHXgCAAI— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) April 26, 2021
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However, Jones saw his stock fall in 2020 as the Falcons finished at the bottom of the NFC South with a 4-12 record. The 32-year old star finished the season with just 771 receiving yards and 3 receiving TDs in 9 appearances.
As per recent developments, it seems that Jones could be on his way out of Atlanta in search of a new challenge.
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Julio Jones trade move may come to fruition this summer
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
NFL insider Ian Rapoport was the first to report the Atlanta Falcons are currently addressing trade inquiries with respect to WR Julio Jones. As mentioned above, the Falcons are currently working on a tight budget with a limited salary cap. Julio has a $23 million cap hit in 2021 and almost a $20 million hit in the following two seasons.
New GM Terry Fontenot knows that no trade deal for Jones can go through before June 1, 2021. The Falcons will bide their time and assess all possible options before agreeing on a trade move for their prized asset.
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Jones has been an ever-present threat for Atlanta since making his debut in 2011. In 134 NFL starts, Jones has 12,896 receiving yards with 60 passing TDs during his 10-year spell with the Falcons.
He has been voted to the Pro Bowl team on 7 occasions in the past. Jones finished as the NFL Receiving Yards Leader in 2015 and 2018. He also made the NFL 2010s All-Decade team.
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The NFC South old boys currently own the 4th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They might look to draft someone like Ja’Marr Chase or Kyle Pitts to replace Jones (if he decides to move on this summer). Watch this space for more.
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