Julio Jones to Cowboys Rumor and Odds - Again?! Here's Why
FRISCO - It began in May 2021, when CowboysSI.com broke the story of then-superstar receiver Julio Jones - disgruntled in Atlanta - engaging in a workout here in Frisco.
The way we reported it at the time, it was entirely “unofficial” as it regarded the Dallas Cowboys. But we were told Dak Prescott was there for a throwing session with Dallas receivers …
And Jones, maybe the Falcons’ greatest player ever, was there as well.
And ever since then, as Jones’ career has naturally dipped (he’s now 34 and looking for his fourth team in four years), Julio has playfully teased then denied interest in signing with Dallas.
Are you ready for another tease?
For reasons we do not completely understand, Vegas oddsmakers have made the Cowboys the favorites to land Jones.
What’s going on here?
Part of this is Dallas’ very real desire to add a marquee pass-catcher. That justifies the interest and/or the stories connecting Dallas with multiple wideouts like Odell Beckham Jr., DeAndre Hopkins, Jerry Jeudy and Brandin Cooks and others.
But maybe there’s another factor.
The Cowboys opened free agency with the best odds on SportsBetting.AG to sign not only Julio Jones, but also …
The best odds to sign Odell Beckham Jr. And …
The best odds to sign Patrick Peterson. And …
If we scan a collection of oddsmakers, Dallas was also a favorite for Hopkins, Jeudy, Bobby Wagner, Cooks … and on and on.
Dallas was going to get all of 'em?!
The Cowboys have never really tried on Hopkins or Peterson, essentially passed on Beckham and Jeudy, just saw Wagner go back to Seattle and of course did make the Cooks deal.
But in total?
All of this suggests that the oddsmakers are attaching “name” players to the Cowboys only because doing so catches the eye of fans of “America’s Team” who are also fans of gambling.
And how does the machine keep working? Our pals covering the Bucs at SI wrote a perfectly fine and understandable story this week (March 27) about Julio's top odds in Dallas - and this is after the Cooks trade!
But back to real life …
Julio did the Dallas workout in spring 2021 and then got himself moved from Atlanta to the Titans.
Julio did it again in Dallas in spring 2021 hanging out at a mall in DFW outfitted in Cowboys gear … and then making a TV appearance to giggle a denial about how it all looked.
Jones, also involved in Aaron Rodgers/Jets gossip, remains available because he was hurt and underwhelming with the Titans and then in 2022 as a street free agent who joined the Bucs, where despite his name value he had just 24 receptions for 299 yards and two touchdowns during 10 appearances.
In total, Julio Jones - who was a $22 million APY player in Atlanta and Tennessee but who had to settle for a one-year, $6 million contract with the Buccaneers last offseason - has now missed 14 games due to injury in the last two seasons.
As the Cowboys wrap up their shopping, with the focus now largely turning toward the NFL Draft, a helpful reminder: There is a difference between a “marquee player” and a “marquee name.” And Dallas has zero need for the latter.
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