Falcons Ex WR Julio Jones Cut By Titans; An Atlanta Reunion?
In the end, the Atlanta Falcons won the Julio Jones sweepstakes after all.
Jones is expected to be released by the Tennessee Titans as a post-June 1 designation. The Falcons elected to trade Jones prior to the start of the 2022 season.
Could a reunion in Atlanta be in order?
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The Falcons elected to trade Jones, 33, for a 2022 second-round pick (No. 57) and a 2023 sixth-round selection because he wanted out of town. Tennessee expected him to be the No. 1 option, but instead, he finished third on the roster in nearly every receiving category.
Jones was limited in due to injuries. He played in 10 games, recording 31 catches for 434 yards and scored a touchdown. Jones averaged 14 yards per reception, the second-lowest number of his career.
Drafted by Atlanta with the No. 6 pick in 2011, Jones became a superstar and the go-to weapon for quarterback Matt Ryan. He recorded seven 1,000-yard plus receiving seasons and tallied over 100 receptions on three different occasions.
In 10 years with the Falcons, Jones recorded 879 receptions for 13,330 yards and 61 touchdowns. He is Atlanta's all-time leader in yards, receptions, and ranks second behind Roddy White in touchdowns, who finished his career with 63.
Maybe it is too romantic a notion; they did after all part badly. But fans could hardly be blamed for wondering if Atlanta could be in the market to bring back Jones and let him finish his career where it all began.
Receiver Calvin Ridley — the player the Falcons expected to replace Jones' production — is now suspended for the entire 2022 season. Russell Gage, the team's No. 3 target, agreed to terms on a three-year, $30 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If Jones needs a selling point to come back to Atlanta, it would be the possible move at quarterback. The Falcons are actively looking to acquire Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson via trade and recently met with him in Houston to discuss their plan moving forward.
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Watson, who is signed to a four-year, $156 million extension, must first waive his no-trade clause before any deal could be completed. The Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns all have met with Watson as well.
