GM: Julio Jones 'Tried His Best'

Jon Robinson liked what he saw from Julio Jones.

The Tennessee Titans general manager just needed to see more from the veteran wide receiver. Specifically, he needed to see Jones in uniform much more often than he did.

Speaking to the team’s website from the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm beach, Fla. on Sunday, Robinson addressed the decision to release Jones and all of the Titans’ other notable offseason moves to date. Not surprisingly, the biggest issue with the seven-time Pro Bowler, acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons last June, was his inability to stay healthy.

"It certainly was not a lack of effort on his part," Robinson said. "He tried his best to get out there, but he was battling it all year long. At the end of the day, and it's on our wall in the training room: 'Availability is just as important as ability.' And, unfortunately for him – no fault of anybody – he just wasn't available for us as much as he would have liked to have been, and certainly as we would have liked to have been.”

Jones, who recently turned 33, played in 10 of 17 games during the regular season as well as the playoff loss to Cincinnati. He first sustained a groin injury early in training camp and did not play in the preseason. He appeared in no more than three consecutive games during the regular season and spent time on injured reserve during November.

Ultimately, he tied for fourth on the team with 31 receptions and was third with 434 receiving yards. His only touchdown came in the regular season finale at Houston.

The Titans released him on March 16 with a post-June 1 designation. That move creates roughly $9.5 million of salary cap space.

Thus far, no team has signed him for the coming season.

"He was a great teammate,” Robinson said. “He worked hard. He is a pro. He handles his business. I can't say enough good things about him and how he worked in his time with us."

If only he had been able to play more.