Julio Jones Leaving Atlanta – But Where is He Going?

As the rumors on the possible departure of Aaron Rodgers from Green Bay seem to cool, a possible trade involving Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones heats up. Mostly because the Packers have no desire to move on from their MVP quarterback, while the Falcons have shown a willingness to trade Jones. At least according to reports.

What we can confirm however is that Jones himself is ready to move on. Shannon Sharpe called him live on the air earlier this week and asked Jones if he would be leaving Atlanta. Jones didn’t mince his words.

“I’m out of there.”

But where could he go? And at what price to the trading team?

Julio Jones Trade Value

There is no question that when healthy Julio Jones is one of the top wide receivers in the league, even at age 32. But the caveat is “when healthy” — and at age 32 that might loom as too big a question for teams to give up a first round pick. Add in that Jones is very vocal in his desire to leave, and all of it conspires to lower his trade value.

A number of experts agree that a second round draft pick may be the ceiling for a Jones trade.

He missed seven games last season because of an injured hamstring, and soft tissue injuries on guys reliant on bursts of speed can linger for months and even years. But it’s worth noting that Jones, for the majority of his career, has been healthy. In the previous six seasons Jones has missed just four games.

In 2020 he was on pace to easily eclipse 1,000 yards. He was also averaging more than 15 yards per catch. He’s a future Hall of Famer, still playing like a future Hall of Famer. So it is a bit surprising that the price to get Jones is so low. He’s the kind of player that can completely change a team’s fortunes.

Why Would Atlanta Move Him?

Julio Jones is the best player in Atlanta Falcons history and is exceedingly popular among the fans. Trading him will not make the city of Atlanta happy.

Also, instead of drafting a young quarterback for the future, at this year’s draft the Falcons selected tight end Kyle Pitts. It’s a win now type of pick, and no doubt one of the reasons people are so high on Pitts for this season is because he joins an offense with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

No Jones means no shot at winning in a division that finds itself with the defending Super Bowl champions. And beginning your season with no shot at winning seems to run counter with the moves the Falcons made this offseason.

But Jones also comes with a $23 million cap hit, and according to the salary cap experts at Spotrac, Atlanta needs to free up about $10 million in cap space to sign their nine draft picks.

Plus, as popular as Jones is with the fans, he’s also that way with the team. And if Jones wants to leave, owner Arthur Blank respects him enough to try and make it happen.

Where Could Jones Go?

There are currently 12 teams that have the cap space to take on the $15 million contract of Jones. There are probably another half-dozen or so teams that could get creative with their cap situations and find enough space to bring him in. But it’s important to remember that Jones is under contract, so he will go to whomever gives the Falcons the best deal.

Maybe it’s the 49ers. When San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta, Jones had the two best seasons of his career.

Maybe it’s the Patriots. Word is that Julio Jones is close to incumbent starting quarterback Cam Newton.

Jones himself said he wants to play for a winner. So maybe the Cleveland Browns, who would no doubt become a favorite in the AFC North with both Jones and Odell Beckham, Jr. paired with their two great running backs.

Nothing will happen before June 1 because of the cap savings. But after we pass that day, stay tuned. At the moment, odds on the Falcons haven’t moved in response to the Jones’ news. Sportsbooks set the regular-season win total for Atlanta at 7½ wins earlier in the offseason, before bettors bolstered that number up to eight.