The San Francisco 49ers know that reports of Julio Jones' inevitable departure from Atlanta recently took an interesting spin, when NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms noted the future Hall-of-Fame wideout and Falcons superstar had the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots as potentially desirable locations — should a serious trade materialize.
Still, multiple NFL teams would be silly not to continue any and all trade talks with Dirty Birds brass, because GM Terry Fontenot and first-year coach (and former Titans OC, ironically) Arthur Smith are going to want the best return possible in a deal.
Any team would be pleased to have Jones in the fold, despite his age (32) and his very-recent injury history (2020: nine games played). He's amassed more than 12,800 yards receiving with 60 career receiving touchdowns. He's averaged more than 100 yards per game in four full seasons, and for his career manages 15.2 yards per catch. He commands double teams, and would open up any offense just by stepping on the field.
Yes, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder would be an upgrade for almost everyone in the NFL, but he'd particularly be an upgrade for the San Francisco 49ers — a team that SHOULD be on the phone right NOW, working through what it would take to trade for Jones' services.
And as NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha pointed out on Tuesday, there are several reasons why:
“[San Francisco] has $17.66 million in cap space and they're about to have a quarterback operating on a rookie deal [Trey Lance],” Chadiha writes. “Yes, the 49ers have two young, talented receivers in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. However, Jones is still more dangerous, and he also has a pretty good history with head coach Kyle Shanahan, which should count for plenty. Jones enjoyed his best professional season in 2015 (136 receptions, 1,871 yards) when Shanahan was the Falcons' offensive coordinator. They reached the Super Bowl a year later and narrowly lost to New England Patriots in overtime.”
So, Julio Jones with San Francisco? As a primary target for Jimmy Garoppolo, and later, North Dakota State star Trey Lance? How can they make it happen?
In March 2020, the Houston Texans built a blueprint — though rightfully lambasted — for trading a star wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, when they dealt him and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.
The 49ers can absolutely afford such a choice, and can actually emulate it.
49ers Bold Julio Jones Trade Option No. 1:
2022 second-round pick, 2022 third-round compensatory pick, 2023 third-round compensatory pick
The Atlanta Falcons have focused on bolstering the backfield this off-season after drafting Louisville star Javian Hawkins and signing former Carolina Panthers RB Mike Davis and former Chicago Bears returner Cordarrelle Patterson, so adding a running back into a deal like this probably isn't necessary.
But a 2022 second-rounder and the remaining two compensatory picks from the Robert Saleh (New York Jets HC)/Martin Mayhew (Washington GM) departures could be enough to entice Atlanta to make the move. It keeps the 49ers' core intact and leaves both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance on the roster to helm the offense, and it gives the Falcons a nice, young treasure trove of quality picks for the next two seasons.
In this specific instance, think of the compensatory picks as a form of NFL stimulus. The 49ers knew at some point that Saleh and Mayhew would move forward with their careers, and as such have been gifted — in essence — some financial relief.
It's cash the 49ers didn't plan on having the next two seasons anyway, so use it while able in order to make a prudent move for the franchise.
Jones alongside TE George Kittle, Aiyuk, Samuel and RB Raheem Mostert would be an absolute dream scenario for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff. It sets up Garoppolo for a nice rebound season (and perhaps boosts his trade value, should he play well), and it gives a guy like Lance another target to trust in his progressions as he improves as a future starter in the league.
From a historical sense, Julio Jones with the 49ers also just makes sense. Ask Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark and Terrell Owens.
49ers Bold Julio Jones Trade Option No. 2:
QB Jimmy Garoppolo, 2023 second rounder
Let's get cuh-ray-zee.
What if…what if?… the 49ers went ahead and jettisoned its starting quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, in a nearly-direct exchange for Julio Jones?
No. 1, it paves the way for Trey Lance at starter…pushing him right into duty much like Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks opted to do when they drafted Russell Wilson out of Wisconsin in 2012. If Lance is truly the future of the team, and not Garoppolo, it puts him immediately in the fire to learn and grow with Shanahan's offense.
No. 2, it gives the Atlanta Falcons a proven, younger commodity behind incumbent star signal-caller Matt Ryan. Garoppolo (29) is nearly seven years younger than “Matty Ice” (36), and would almost certainly thrive in Arthur Smith's offensive scheme (see Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee).
Garoppolo, making starters money ($24.98 million in 2021), probably doesn't like the move at first with Ryan clearly ahead in the depth chart. But it also gives the former Eastern Illinois standout more time to heal his high-ankle sprain, which might require more attention than previously thought. He doesn't have to rush out there and save the Falcons, and both he (UFA: 2023) and Ryan (UFA: 2024) become unrestricted free agents at nearly the same time. Garoppolo will be 31 in 2023, and Ryan will be 39 in 2024.
The Falcons could get younger at the position, without going through the “what-ifs” that come when selecting a quarterback in the NFL Draft.
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