Trying to Make Sense of the Julio Jones Trade

Julio Jones has been traded. He is a Tennessee Titan, and they acquired him for, in my opinion, a very small price. I think all the Falcons got was three total draft picks, none of which are a first rounder. I’m surprised that the Falcons pulled the trigger on such a small offer, but here we are. I guess he really wanted out, some other teams were offering even less and Atlanta was okay letting him go. He’s one of the best receivers in the league, he’s mostly durable and he can stretch a defense.

Yet this trade, on every level, flat out confuses me. As I said, Jones is a top three wideout in the league. Any team that got him would be an instant contender for me. But I do not like the fit in Tennessee. Yes the Titans are an established playoff team, they were in the AFC title game two seasons ago and they have some solid weapons. But this team wins with defense and running. They’re a very good defensive team. They play so solid on that side of the ball. They don’t make too many mental mistakes and they pounce on opportunities. On offense the team goes as Derrick Henry goes, and rightfully so. He is probably the best running back in the league right now. He may go for 2,000 yards this upcoming season. He is very, very good. He’s the heart and soul of the Titans offense. Jones also said he wanted to go to a team with a “big armed quarterback”. Ryan Tannehill is a fine game manager, but I would say he has a “big arm”. I know the Dolphins tried this route with him and it didn’t work. Then he came to Tennessee to backup Marcus Mariota, and fell into the starting QB due to poor play and injury. But Tennessee has never relied on Tannehill to win games. They go with defense and running. They like to control the tempo of the game. They want to slow everything to a grinding halt. That’s not what Julio Jones wants to do. He is a big play guy. He wants to get the ball and move. He wants to out jump corners for touchdowns. He is super fast and super skilled in the open field. Jones is a prototypical modern receiver. And while the Titans have another solid receiver in AJ Brown, they still don’t really stretch the field or go very fast.

I personally think Jones would’ve been better off going to a team like the Rams. They got Matthew Stafford, and even though he’s oft injured, he can chuck it. Sean McVay would also put Jones in position to fully utilize his skill. I think pairing him with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore would’ve put the Ravens over the top. I fully believe that would’ve put them very close to the Chiefs. If my team, the Packers, had made a play for him, maybe Aaron Rodgers would’ve reported to camp right now. And Jones and Davante Adams would’ve been a highly impressive duo. I’m sure there’s other teams I’m missing, but Tennessee just seems like not a great fit for Jones and the Titans.

As for Atlanta, I’m still scratching my head at how little they got for one of the best at his position in the game right now. The Rams and Lions traded picks and QB’s. If the Packers do trade Rodgers, I’m sure they’ll get a kings ransom that includes picks and players. Big time O lineman go for better picks than what the Falcons got for Jones. It just feels, to me, that Atlanta jumped the gun. They took an offer they liked before vetting other teams. They got nothing of real substance for an established player. Who knows what these picks will turn into, but Torrey Smith said it best. He tweeted that he’d rather have an established star than picks that may or may not pan out. He’s right. I fully agree with him. The fact that Atlanta chose Matt Ryan over Julio Jones tells me they don’t care about winning right now. They simply didn’t want to pay to get a better QB to pair with Jones, Kyle Pitts and a running back by committee. Matt Ryan’s best days are well behind him. Julio Jones still has a few years left in his prime.

This trade just seems hastily slapped together. I think all parties involved could’ve gotten a better deal. I hope I’m proven wrong because I really enjoy watching Julio Jones play football. But going to the Titans feels more like a lateral move. We will see.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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