The Baltimore Ravens have been looking to acquire a true No. 1 wide receiver for a long time. While Baltimore has had some great receivers suit up in purple and black that include Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, and Steve Smith Sr., the team has explored plenty of avenues to find their next star pass catcher, whether through the draft, a trade, or free agency.
It was reported on Monday that teams were calling the Atlanta Falcons in regards to the availability of wide receiver Julio Jones, who has had his name come up in trade rumors for years.
The #Falcons have received calls from teams inquiring about possible trades for All-Pro WR Julio Jones, sources say. A trade could not happen for cap reasons before June 1, but teams know Atlanta’s brutal cap situation and are calling. A deal won’t happen now, but later? Maybe.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2021
Jones, 32, has been one of the best receivers in the NFL over the course of his career, accumulating 848 receptions, 12,896 receiving yards, and 60 receiving touchdowns. His health is a question mark and his touchdown production can sometimes be spotty, but there’s no doubt that Jones would make the Ravens’ offense better.
SportsLine.com released odds for Jones’ next team in the event that he’s traded, and Baltimore leads the way as the favorites.
Julio Jones' next team if he is traded by Atlanta:
Ravens +250
Raiders +300
Titans +500
Patriots +700
Eagles +900
Colts +1000https://t.co/afO41MHvZn— SportsLine (@SportsLine) April 26, 2021
In the article explaining the odds, Matt Severance explains that he’s shocked that Baltimore hasn’t gone out and acquired a true No. 1 receiver yet.
It’s almost shocking the Ravens haven’t addressed the position yet this offseason (Antonio Brown is still a possibility) and they could take a wideout with their first-round pick Thursday.”
If the Ravens wanted to make a move for Jones, he wouldn’t be cheap, as not only would the team have to give up draft compensation to acquire him, but his contract is somewhat expensive over the next three years.
Here's what a team acquiring Julio Jones in a trade would owe him on his current deal:
2021: $15.3M
2022: $11.513M
2023: $11.513M3-years, $38.326M in total.
Jones has averaged 95.5 receiving yards per game in his career, by far the most in NFL history. Still a huge weapon.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 26, 2021
Jones has been linked to Baltimore for a while, and with reports saying that Atlanta could possibly move Jones due to salary cap purposes, it’s fair to speculate whether the Ravens would be interested. It would certainly take a lot to acquire a player like Jones, but if he can stay healthy he’d be well worth it.