It seems every offseason there are rumors that the Atlanta Falcons’ star wide receiver Julio Jones will be traded. This year, however, these rumors seem stronger than in the past. With the Falcons currently in a rebuild and zero cap space, trading Julio may not be the worst idea in the world. They recently picked up Kyle Pitts in the NFL Draft and have other weapons such as Calvin Ridley to keep the offense at its high standard. Now that a trade makes sense, let’s get into the potential teams that could actually make the deal for Jones and immediately bolster their offense.
New England Patriots
The Patriots seem to be the hottest name around Julio at this point. There have been several reports that Jones would prefer to play in New England and with quarterback Cam Newton. The Patriots aren’t one for big moves, but they take their fair share. Getting Jones could really be a game-changer for the Patriots. He’d provide the true No. 1 wide receiver that fans have wanted for a couple of years now. Getting Julio would require some salary cap reworking, however, but they should be able to get it done pretty easily. At the end of the day, this would be a fantastic trade for New England and would immediately push them from a borderline playoff team to true contenders in the AFC.
Tennessee Titans
This team hasn’t been reported to be linked to Jones as much as the Patriots, but there have still been some rumblings. Players like Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown have made their pitch to Julio over Twitter about joining the team. Adding another superstar to their offense is just what the Titans need as well. Besides Brown, there isn’t much depth behind him at the receiver position, and they’ll need to take some pressure off Henry’s running game with a solid air attack. If they got Jones, they would instantly have one of the best trios in the league and are another team that would improve their contention hopes mightily.
Baltimore Ravens
Three AFC teams so far are just how the Falcons should be approaching this. For the Ravens, this is another move to improve a receiving core that is lacking. Their top guys right now are Marquise Brown and Rashod Bateman. Brown has been incredibly underwhelming since coming into the league and Bateman is a rookie who still has a lot to learn before becoming a true alpha wide receiver. Trading for Jones would allow this team to relieve the heavy amount of pressure they put on their run game. Baltimore led the league in rushing attempts last year, and a big part was because they had no receiver help. This team could finally make a deep postseason run if they got Julio.
Arizona Cardinals
This one would be truly insane. Like the Titans, some players have been tweeting out their want to get Jones on the Cardinals. Star receiver DeAndre Hopkins has already said he’s willing to restructure his contract to get Julio in Arizona. The Cardinals’ offense would almost undoubtedly be at the top of the league next season with the acquisition of Jones. A duo of Hopkins and Jones mixed with one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Kyler Murray would just be lethal. This could finally get them over the playoff hump and would make this team a must-watch every week.
Green Bay Packers
This seems to be a hot team in the Jones market but this would also be somewhat unrealistic. However, it’s just so fun to imagine a Green Bay offense with Jones, Aaron Rodgers, and Davante Adams. You’d have to think that the Packers trading for Julio would immediately end the Rodgers drama and they could work out an extension pretty soon. This trade could be exactly what the Packers need to get past the NFC Championship game for the first time since 2011. Green Bay would be putting their entire future on the line with a trade like this, but to get a Super Bowl would definitely be worth it.
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