Despite already having a loaded wide receiver room, the Los Angeles Rams still showed at least some interest in Julio Jones when the Atlanta Falcons had him on the trade block. It was reported that the Rams were among the teams that reached out to the Falcons about a trade, though it’s unclear how strong their push for the receiver was.
The 49ers also discussed trading for Jones, according to Albert Breer of the MMQB, but those talks never amounted to anything either.
Kyle Shanahan did fear that the Rams would swoop in and land Jones, though, similar to the way they did with Matthew Stafford.
“That’s our biggest fear in Julio, is that Sean’s gonna go for him,” Shanahan said on the “Flying Coach” podcast. “My first choices, I mean, I just wish Julio would go to the AFC. If he’s going to the NFC West, we’ve got to make sure we get him because it ends up being an arms race because I know how good a job Sean does, I know how good a job Pete does, and I know how good of a job Kliff does and everyone’s got quarterbacks.
“That’s actually the most frustrating thing for me. I always say, ‘Let’s do it the right way,’ which, there’s no right way or wrong way, but you don’t want to have to risk your future to compete in one year. And that’s the hardest thing about being in our division because I know how Sean rolls. That’s very similar to me. And I can see that in the other two guys in our division.”
Shanahan coached Jones in Atlanta, so he knows how talented a receiver he is. The 49ers elected not to make that bold move for the All-Pro receiver, but if the Rams were going to push hard to land him, San Francisco would’ve made a greater effort to do so, too.
“Julio would have helped everybody, but you know what it’s doing to your organization for that year and for the years to come and that’s a really risky thing,” Shanahan added. “But man, if Sean’s getting him, I’m going to risk that. I know that’s how he thinks. That’s how we all think. You’ve got to compete with your division first.”
Fortunately for everyone in the NFC West, Jones landed in the AFC South with the Titans and won’t be torturing Rams, Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals cornerbacks twice a year. But it sure would’ve been fun to see him in the best division in football.
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