A Music City Miracle: Julio Jones Traded To Tennessee
- nolanbul2
- Jun 6, 2021
- 10 min read
Every year, it always seems like there is a brand new argument amongst fans for the top Wide Receiver in the league. One year, it is Deandre Hopkins, one year it is Michael Thomas, and another year it is Davante Adams.
There will always be a new top dog at the position for each year. However, if you ask me if there was one Wide Receiver I would want on my team over the years, only one name comes to mind:
Julio Jones.
I believe Jones had every trait you could ask for in a Wide Receiver. His massive 6'3" frame with elite speed and dynamic strength made him a nightmare of a matchup for any defensive back he faced. So naturally, with his size and speed, you would assume Jones was an ideal deep threat (which he certainly was). But there was also no route on the field that he could not run.
In the star-studded 2011 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons made a bold move and traded two first-round picks and more to the Cleveland Browns to move up and select Jones, a superstar out of Alabama. It was a hazardous move, and the Browns had a bevy of draft capital to speed up their long-lasting rebuild. Well, in the epic Cleveland Browns fashion that we are originally used to, they did absolutely nothing to make the most of the trade. At the same time, Jones became one of the decade's most dominant receivers for the Falcons.
Jones was always a stud for the Falcons and made them win the trade with ease based on Jones' career alone. Unfortunately, despite having several talented squads throughout the years, one that went to the Super Bowl in 2016 (we all know how that turned out), the Falcons could never provide Jones' with a much deserved Super Bowl ring.
Recently, the Falcons have faltered down to irrelevancy, and Jones has had enough. So much so that trade rumors began to swirl with him to get out of Atlanta. He unexpectedly confirmed the rumor as Shannon Sharpe surprised Jones by calling him on-air while on Sharpe's show, "Skip and Shannon." Despite not being aware that he was on TV, Jones revealed that he wanted out of Atlanta and shocked the NFL world with the rare occurrence.
Well, nearly two weeks after the incident on live TV, Jones would finally find himself out of Atlanta and sent to the Tennessee Titans. In this article, I will break down how the trade came to be and what I believe it means for both the Titans, Falcons, and Jones from here on out.
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How The Trade Came To Be
According to Adam Schefter, the trade officially went down as a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Falcons for Julio Jones and a sixth-round pick in 2023 to the Titans.
As I mentioned, Jones (in my opinion) has been one of the NFL's most dominant receivers and is the ideal Wide Receiver in my book. However, despite those notions and the overall immense talent that he offers, we must consider his injury history and age.
Jones Making Arguably The Best Catch Of His Career Late In Super Bowl 51
(Credit: The Undefeated)
If I thought any team would acquire him, I thought it would be the New England Patriots. Acquiring a veteran such as Jones would seem to be a Bill Belichick-esque move. His value is slowly diminishing, and the mastermind Belichick is would snag him and bump up his value again while in New England. Combine that and the Patriots dire need at Wide Receiver, and it appeared to be a realistic scenario.
If not the Patriots, another Wide Receiver-needy team such as the Las Vegas Raiders would have made plenty of sense, as well. However, one team I kept my eye on was the Green Bay Packers.
In case you do not know, the Packers are in misery at the moment with their MVP Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and it gives me great joy. Will he leave or not? That question has been floated around since Draft Day, but if there were any possible indications that Rodgers would stay or at least there was a chance he would, acquiring Jones would have been the type of move to make.
If you want to make your disgruntled Quarterback happy, one who has publicly complained that there are not enough weapons around him, it is safe to say that someone such as Jones would make him happy. The fact that he would have had Jones as a #2 Wide Receiver behind Davante Adams?! That alone would be Quarterback heaven, not to mention that Running Back Aaron Jones, breakout Tight End Robert Tonyan, and a solid Offensive Line would be at his disposal, as well.
The Packers acquiring Jones would have likely solidified the case that Rodgers would be coming back, cause why would they trade for Jones if Rodgers would not be throwing to him? In the end, the Packers made no move, which only indicates that trouble is still brewing in Green Bay, and I am all here for it.
The Tennessee Titans' name was floated around with the Julio Jones rumors, mainly thanks to the all-out recruiting job by current Titans star Wide Receiver A.J. Brown. Brown frequently claimed that Jones was his idol growing up and did everything he could to convince Jones to come to Tennessee. I never thought the Titans would acquire Jones, but Brown's dream would eventually come true, and he now gets to line up opposite of his idol weekly.
A Studded Offense Appears Even More Dangerous Heading Into The Year
After having a miraculous career resurgence with the Titans in 2019, NFL fans (including myself) were skeptical of whether or not Quarterback Ryan Tannehill could repeat such success the following year. Well, in 2020, he proved everyone wrong and had himself a solid, consistent campaign.
Of course, the offense will be carried by the league's top rusher, Running Back Derrick Henry. Calling Henry a "freak" would feel like an understatement, as he has rushed for a combined 3,567 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 681 carries (all not including playoffs) the past two years. He is still the catalyst of the offense, but the acquisition of Jones certainly aides Henry and the offense altogether.
A.J. Brown Wearing Julio Jones' Jersey During Warmups Before A 2020 Game
(Credit: CBS Sports)
I am a big fan of Wide Receiver A.J. Brown, as he was a flat-out stud throughout his two years and has all the traits to become an elite receiver in the league. Despite making the most of them, the only problem with Brown is that he does not get as many targets as the league's elite receivers do. That would make sense, given that the team is a run-first offense and will feed Derrick Henry like there is no tomorrow. However, it is fair to wonder how eye-popping Brown's numbers would be if he received more targets.
With the loss of their #2 Wide Receiver Corey Davis, who signed with the New York Jets, and former Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver Josh Reynolds (someone who I wished the Bears would have signed) being the only decent Wide Receiver addition to the Titans, it appeared that Brown would finally get that increased workload we were all hoping for. But the addition of Jones will likely have to keep our hopes for Brown on hold.
Honesty, I was expecting the Titans to select a Wide Receiver in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Specifically, I thought Ole Miss standout Elijah Moore would be their guy, and if they did select him, I thought their offense would significantly improve and appear dangerous again. However, Moore wound up with the New York Jets in the second round, and the Titans selected Virginia Tech Cornerback Caleb Farley in the first round instead.
With that being said, if I thought they would appear dangerous with the addition of Moore, imagine what it would be like with a proven vet and future Hall of Famer instead? We may (emphasis on "may") not see as significant stats as we are used to of Henry and Brown, but you can bet that this offense could be one of the most efficient attacks in the league. Rather than completely stuffing the stat sheets based on sheer volume, these weapons should make the most of their opportunities while not being as worn out as they would typically be.
As far as the Titans altogether are concerned, we cannot ignore the fact that they still have a fragile defense. One that finished fifth-to-last in the league last year and was hardly addressed in the offseason (except for signing former Pittsburgh Steelers' Edge Rusher Bud Dupree. That defense will undoubtedly limit the team's overall potential for the upcoming season, but I believe we can call the Titans a contender.
It was already an uneasy task for defenses to get to Ryan Tannehill and contain A.J. Brown, all while it was near-impossible to slow down Derrick Henry. Now that Julio Jones is in town and it will not only be difficult to stop him, but his presence will assist his fellow weapons, too? It will undoubtedly be fun to tune into the Titans' offense yet again this year.
The Rebuild Goes On In Atlanta
Well, this should be as clear as ever; the Jones trade means that the Falcons are further continuing their rebuild.
Julio Jones trade rumors were minor over the years; the idea was always there, but things never came to fruition. That suddenly changed, of course, and finally came to be after his tenth season as a pro.
What first strikes me is that both Jones' camp and the Falcons could have handled the whole trade speculation more properly. First, the timing could have been much better, as I am sure the Falcons would have loved to get some deal done before the 2021 NFL Draft. Also, given that the debacle on "Skip and Shannon" occurred in late May (one month after the NFL Draft), Falcons fans likely assumed Jones would be a member of their 2021 squad. Instead, they were lead-on and had to see their legendary receiver go later than they would have liked to.
Speaking of the "Skip and Shannon" incident, I am sure Jones and the Falcons alike would have rather not have that occur in the first place. Could that have been scripted? Was that Jones on the other line and speaking through the phone on live TV? Those were some of the questions that I (and the rest of the world) were wondering and may still be curious about. However, NFL Insiders all over confirmed that was him and that he genuinely wanted out of Atlanta. That alone hurt Falcons fans (as I can imagine), but I am positive all parties involved would have liked to hear about Jones's intentions more appropriately. Besides Fox Sports, of course, I am sure they were thrilled for that to occur on one of their shows.
But everything happened as is, and we all must accept that. The Falcons were lucky enough to get picks in the first place, as those should support and further advance their rebuild. Now, opposing defense's will pay attention to #1 Wide Receiver Calvin Ridley and fourth-overall draft pick, Tight End Kyle Pitts.
After being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Calvin Ridley has developed into one of the finest Wide Receivers in the league. He found success with and without Julio Jones beside him, but now that Jones is gone, it would not come as a shock if Ridley leads the league in targets this year.
Ridley came out of Alabama as one of the most polished wideouts in his class and has been that way since entering the league. He is most notably known as an impeccable route runner with excellent hands and a nose for the endzone. He has undoubtedly been on the rise and will now take over the reign as the top target in Atlanta and has a great chance to officially become a superstar in the league.
On the other hand, Kyle Pitts had NFL general managers and fans alike salivating at just how significant of a prospect he was heading into the draft. Coming from Florida, he entered the draft process with the longest measured wingspan by any Tight End AND Wide Receiver prospect in the past 20 years (nearly 84 inches). While also measured at 6'5", 245 lbs, and ran a 4.4 40-yard dash (same as Justin Fields, for reference), to name a few. When you are being compared to Darren Waller and Calvin Johnson, surely there must be a bit of hype attached to you, and Falcons fans should indeed be excited about him.
Kyle Pitts Holding Up His Jersey After Being Selected 4th Overall By The Atlanta Falcons In The 2021 NFL Draft
(Credit: Atlanta Falcons)
Quarterback Matt Ryan realistically has no one else besides those two that will cause concern on opposing defenses. Ridley has a chance to emerge as a certified elite Wide Receiver in the league while Pitts is entering the league as the most hype-up Tight End prospect in recent memory. Sure, it sucks losing one of your greatest players in franchise history in Jones, but at least they are not left for nothing with Ridley and Pitts in town.
Jones Back To Hopefully Winning Again
No matter how you might depict this trade, the NFL world can collectively agree that we are happy to see Julio Jones in a situation where he can finally be with a winning team again.
While the Falcons' blown 25-point lead in Super Bowl 51 will forever live in infamy, you cannot help but feel for players such as Jones. Guys who were so close to finally receiving a much-deserved Super Bowl ring, but his team failed to do so for him.
Rather than sticking out the rest of his career with a failing team, he decided to do what was best for him and request a trade to a winning team instead. I give any athlete massive props for being loyal to their teams, even those who have not supported them enough to win a championship (prime example: Damian Lillard). However, the primary goal of any athlete and competitor is to win, and Jones clearly would not be getting that anymore in Atlanta.
As much as this day may hurt for Falcons fans, I am 100% sure they will be in full support for Jones and root for the Titans in hopes of finally giving him his first Super Bowl ring. Ring or no ring, though, Jones will end up as a future Hall of Famer and has already cemented his legacy in Atlanta.
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Thank you and (even though this is not a Bears article) Bear Down!
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