The Jets should absolutely pursue Falcons WR Julio Jones

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The Jets need to take a hard look at trading for Falcons receiver Julio Jones if they are serious about competing in 2021.

Yes, this would go against everything Joe Douglas preached over the past two offseasons – namely maintaining cap and draft flexibility – but the opportunity to trade for a player as talented as Jones is one no team should pass on. It doesn’t matter that Jones is 32 years old and is coming off his worst season since 2013; he’s still an all-time great receiver who caught at least 88 receptions for more than 1,000 yards in six of the past seven seasons.

The Jets are also one of the only teams in the league who could actually pull this move off without too many changes. Not only does New York have a second first-round pick it could wave in front of the Falcons for Jones – which is what Atlanta wants in return, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter – but the Jets are also one of eight teams who could absorb Jones’ fully guaranteed $15.3 million salary this year. Jones is owed $38.3 million over the next three seasons – including 2021 – but just an extra $2 million in 2022, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Jones is a scheme-proof receiver but actually fits well in Mike LaFleur’s offense. He played in a similar system from 2015-2016 when LaFleur was an assistant under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta and tallied 219 receptions for 3,280 yards and 14 touchdowns during those two seasons. Those were two of Jones’ best seasons; he made the All-Pro team twice and led the NFL with 136 receptions for 1,871 yards in 2015.

A quick look at the Jets’ depth chart would indicate they don’t have room for a receiver like Jones. New York already has four or five starting-caliber receivers in Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder, Elijah Moore and Keelan Cole. So how could Jones fit? It would take a little massaging, but it’s doable.

First, the Jets would need to cut Crowder (if they didn’t include him in the trade). This serves two purposes: the move saves the Jets $10.35 million and opens up a starting spot. Next, they’d need to re-think the slot position. Jones is an outside receiver and saw only 59 snaps in the slot last year, so moving him inside doesn’t make sense, though other aging receivers have in the past. Jones isn’t there, yet. What would make more sense is some sort of rotation of Davis and Moore in the slot, then Davis and Mims on the outside alongside Jones.

It’s less clean-cut than the traditional set-up, but it would be blasphemous for the Jets to not work Jones into the lineup on almost every play.

The Jets have the firepower to pull off a deal, but there are two questions that will shape the possibility of this situation unfolding: Would Jones even want to play in New York, and do the Jets think they’re a Jones-away from competing in 2021?

The first question is the easiest to answer: Jones already told Shannon Sharpe he didn’t want to play for the Cowboys because he “wants to win,” but the receiver doesn’t have a no-trade clause so the Falcons can send him to the highest bidder.

The second question is a little harder because it’s impossible to know the Jets’ 2021 viability until they take the field. Given the AFC divisional and conference landscape, the Jets would be better off sitting back, developing their stars and attacking next offseason much like they did this offseason. That means they shouldn’t give up assets and cap space for Jones. But Jones could be the missing piece that unlocks the Jets’ potential for an immediate rebuild. He would become one of the best receivers in the division and give Wilson a top-10 weapon on offense.

Even LaFleur’s former boss, Shanahan, noted in 2018 that if someone like Jones becomes available that you have to get him, even when your offense is not predicated on the presence of big weapons like Jones. 

“There aren’t many [elite recievers],” Shanahan told the 49ers’ website. “If there’s a Julio available and you have the opportunity to get him, you go get him. It’s worth it. Whatever the price is, whatever the draft pick is, go get him. There aren’t too many Julio’s on this planet. But you don’t have to have that to be successful.”

Douglas should heed Shanahan’s advice, even if it comes at the expense of his philosophy. The Jets will still have a solid young corps for the foreseeable future and Jones would only elevate all of those receivers already on the team.

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