The sudden news of Julio Jones leaving Atlanta rocked the NFL this weekend. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot had said earlier in the month that the team would be looking to send Jones out of Atlanta before the season started.
This weekend, Jones said “I’m outta there” when asked about his current situation with the Falcons. Jones had reportedly requested a trade back in March, but the team kept it hidden from the public. They have been actively trying to trade him away since then, including asking for a number 1 pick before the draft.
Jones did say that he would like to go play for a winning team when asked about his preferred destination. Jones will cost the Falcons $23.05 million against their cap in 2021, $19.263 million in 2022, and $19.263 million in 2023.
At 32-years-old, Jones is a little bit of a gamble for any team looking to spend top draft picks on him. But he has 10 seasons under his belt with the Falcons and almost 13,000 receiving yards as well as 60 touchdowns. Last season was his first true down year in the NFL, posting 51 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns.
The Falcons picked wide receiver Frank Darby in the 6th round of the 2021 draft, and they also have Calvin Ridley as their main option. Atlanta also picked up tight end Kyle Pitts out of Florida in the first round to add weapons for Matt Ryan. Do they make Jones expendable? We’ll see.
All of that news and more, this week in the NFL! Check back weekly with GMS Sports for the most up-to-date information on your favorite sports.
