The Atlanta Falcons have traded star receiver Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans. The deal was finalized on June 6. The Titans got Jones and a 2023 6th-round pick. The Falcons got a 2022 2nd-round selection and a 2023 4th-round pick.
Titans receiver A.J. Brown posted a video on TikTok explaining to Jones why Tennessee would be a good fit for him. Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan expressed joy with the trade. He said on Twitter, “J Rob is a gangster! The man is crushing it!”, referring to Titans general manager Jon Robinson. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill tweeted, “Let’s go!!!!!”
Tennessee’s odds at Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill to win Super Bowl LVI increased from 35-1 to 30-1, while its odds to win the AFC went up from 18-1 to 15-1. The Titans’ odds to win the AFC South improved from +120 to +110, tying them with the Indianapolis Colts.
Jones has been the main topic of trade conversation over the past 2 months as Atlanta tries to remedy its salary-cap situation. He went on FS1’s “Undisputed” on May 24 and when Shannon Sharpe asked Jones about the Falcons, Jones responded with, “I’m outta there.” It is unclear whether or not Jones knew the phone call was televised. Jones’ base salary of $15.3 million is fully guaranteed for the 2021 season. He was scheduled to cost the Falcons $23.05 million against the cap in 2021 and has cap hits of $19.263 million in 2022 and 2023. By moving him after June 1, it offers Atlanta’s relief against the cap this season because the dead money owed to him would be split between this season and next.
The Falcons traded up to No.6 in the 2011 draft, sending multiple picks to the Cleveland Browns to be able to get the Alabama standout. When they moved up to be able to acquire Jones, they traded its 2011 first-rounder (#26 overall), its second-round selection, two fourth-round picks and its 2012 1st-round pick.
Jones, 32, is the Falcons career leader in catches (848) and receiving yards (12,896) and second behind Roddy White in touchdown catches (63). His 95.5 receiving yards per game is the best per-game average in NFL history, almost 10 full yards better than first-ballot Hall of Famer Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, who is second with 86.1. However, Jones had one of his worst years in 2020, limited to 9 games due to injury with 51 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns. The Falcons do have options to fill in for Jones. Calvin Ridley, whose fifth-year option Atlanta picked up in May, will slide into the No.1 role, and a combination of 2021 first-rounder Kyle Pitts, Russell Gage, Olamide Zaccheaus and sixth-round pick Frank Darby might see larger roles with Jones gone.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_id?31577241/atlanta-falcons-trade
