Former NFL quarterback and current NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms says Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones has his eyes on the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots as possible trade destinations.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Simms said so on “PFT Live,” the show the two co-host together.
“So who’s interested now? Simms said on PFT Live that Jones has his eyes on the Titans and Patriots,” Florio wrote. “Do they have their eyes on him?”
To be clear, the Falcons have the final say as to where they trade Jones, but one would assume the veteran has earned the right to at least have some input on where he lands.
We can’t say for sure that the Titans are interested, but we can say that they should be.
Tennessee currently has a need at the wide receiver position, and while that could be addressed with a less-exciting move, the Titans should at least consider going all-in on Jones if they really want to go for it in 2021.
With Jones aboard, the Titans would replace the production lost by Corey Davis’ departure in a big way by doing so with a receiver who is more talented when at the top of his game.
In the process, a trio of Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and Jones would be one of, if not the best in the NFL, creating a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators who have to figure out how to stop that three-headed monster.
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Of course, the Titans need to free up cap space to make such a dream a reality, as Jones is due $15.3 million this coming season, and then $11.5 million in the two campaigns after that.
However, the Titans have the option to restructure some deals, including that of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, which in and of itself could open up almost $20 million without Tannehill seeing one penny less of his current contract.
And again… a restructure is NOT a paycut. It’s as simple as converting his base salary to a bonus for cap accounting purposes. Bonus money is spread over the remaining years of his deal for cap purposes, but he still gets paid the same. It’s just kicking the can down the road.
— Mike Herndon (@MikeMiracles) May 24, 2021
As far as the draft capital the Titans would have to give up, it’s looking like a second-round pick might get it done. Even if it’s a first-rounder, Tennessee should be picking somewhere near the end of the opening round in 2022 if they land Jones, so giving up that selection is certainly reasonable.
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