The Atlanta Falcons appear to be in a conundrum right now, with the team reportedly weighing the option of trading away superstar wide receiver Julio Jones. And according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Falcons told teams inquiring about a trade involving Jones that it would at least take a first-round pick for them to let him go.
“The trouble is, after asking inquiring teams for a first-round pick for Jones before the draft, the climate in the NFL right now isn’t conducive to getting value for an expensive 32-year-old receiver.”
There are some important items to know with regards to a possible Jones trade. One of which is his current price tag, per his contract. Jones is due to receive a scintillating total of $15.3 million in the 2021 NFL season. That's guaranteed money for him. Also, as pointed by Breer, the Falcons have invested so much in three players this offseason, as they restructured the contracts of Matt Ryan, Deion Jones, and Jake Matthews for a sum of $68.014 million in future salary.
With those moves, the Falcons have sent the message across that they are not going to treat the 2021 NFL season as a phase for a looming rebuild. Instead, they have already made it clear that they will be seriously competing for the Super Bowl.
As one of the best receivers in the game still, Jones will be an integral part of the Falcons in their chase for a Vince Lombardi Trophy. Trading him would betray the logic of the moves Atlanta made on the contracts of Ryan and company.
In any case, June 1 is going to be a very interesting day for Atlanta.
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