Colts fans will love Pat McAfee’s Julio Jones trade take

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 22: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons catches a touchdown pass while being defended by Clayton Geathers #26 of the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 22: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons catches a touchdown pass while being defended by Clayton Geathers #26 of the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

When word leaked that the Atlanta Falcons — a team that’s up for anything — would consider shedding the burdensome Julio Jones deal in trade, most fans rolled their eyes and immediately thought of the league’s “haves” like the New England Patriots.

Well…isn’t there a team that’s been called the AFC’s top threat to the Chiefs that seems finished but could use a vertical threat with great hands?

Yeah! There is! Why not the Indianapolis Colts?

You don’t have to tell Indy legend, punter and broadcaster extraordinaire Pat McAfee twice. Based on his show Monday, he’s a few minutes away from dialing up Chris Ballard in a huff and facilitating the trade himself.

McAfee fired off an extended warning to the Colts in a Monday rant, practically begging Ballard and Co. to chase the Falcons’ dragon.

Even if you’re a believer in Michael Pittman Jr. and TY Hilton’s late-career resurgence (though he seems to be an unlikely fit with Carson Wentz), it’s hard to argue against Jones being a worthwhile risk for a team that’s fairly close to the top.

Pat McAfee wants the Indianapolis Colts to chase a Julio Jones trade.

Now, when can we expect trade talks to heat up? Nothing can become official for cap purposes until June 1, so there won’t be a flurry of activity on Draft Night.

But that cap will be Atlanta’s undoing sooner or later, so plenty of teams are checking in ahead of schedule in an effort to badger them into something drastic.

Needless to say, the benefit to adding Jones to your offense goes far beyond his six consecutive seasons over 1,000 yards receiving — including two league-leading yardage totals — prior to a nine-game season in a lost 2020.

As McAfee so eloquently stated stated, “I tell you what might make Carson Wentz get back to 2017 football again: TY Hilton on one side, Julio f***in Jones on the other.”

We’ve mentioned before how Wentz typically thrives with big-bodied possession receivers like Alshon Jeffery more so than burners like Hilton, and Jones could certainly bring a similar balance to Wentz’s force.

We could pick apart the particulars of a deal all day. We could calculate the expenses and impact on future extensions for homegrown stars.

Or we could embrace Pat McAfee’s particular brand of chaos and just call it a day.

Go get Julio Jones. Ask questions later.

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